CCDS Student Progression Plan 2024-25

David S. Broskie
Superintendent of Schools

Clay County School Board

Erin Skipper District 1
Mary Bolla District 2
Beth Clark District 3
Michele Hanson District 4
Ashley Gilhousen District 5

Section 1 - Introduction

Clay County District Schools is pleased to present the 2024-2025 Student Pupil Progression Plan which outlines our commitment to providing our students with the highest-quality education. This Student Progression Plan is intended to guide school personnel, parents, students, and other stakeholders on the administrative procedures required by state legislation and district school board policies.

At CCDS, we understand that academic proficiency in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies is essential for students to succeed in school and beyond. Therefore, our Student Progression Plan is designed to ensure that each student's progress from one grade to another is based on their mastery of the standards outlined in state legislation.

We are proud to offer a multi-tiered system of support for all learners that embeds instructional opportunities including high-leverage practices and evidence-based resources and tools. Our educators and leaders are provided professional learning opportunities that are intentionally designed to meet the unique needs of each student and promote positive educational outcomes. We are dedicated to creating a learning environment that supports and empowers our students to reach their full potential.

The Student Progression Plan is governed by Florida Statutes § 1008.25 and district policy. All procedures listed in the Student Progression Plan are subject to change due to School Board or legislative action. The Student Progression Plan is updated yearly and posted on the district website.

Section 2 - General Information (K-12)

Enrollment, Transfer, & Promotion Procedures

First Time Enrollment to Clay County District Schools

Enrollment means permitting the student to attend classes and participate fully in school activities. Before admitting a student to Florida schools for the first time, the school must have the documentation required by Florida Statutes and the Clay County School Board policy/procedures:

Proof of date of birth (Florida Statutes § 1003.21). If an official birth certificate for the student cannot be obtained by the parent/guardian, the following may be accepted in the order set forth in Florida Statutes § 1003.21:
- A duly attested transcript of a certificate of baptism showing the date of birth and place of baptism of the child, accompanied by an affidavit sworn to by the parent;
- An insurance policy on the child’s life that had been in force for at least two years;
- A bona fide contemporary religious record of the child’s birth accompanied by an affidavit sworn to by the parent;
- A passport or certificate of arrival in the United States showing the age of the child;
- A transcript of record of age shown in the child’s school record of at least four years prior to application, stating date of birth; or
- If none of this evidence can be produced, an affidavit of age sworn to by the parent, accompanied by a certificate of age signed by a public health officer or by a public school physician.
A certificate showing a school entry health examination performed within one year before enrollment. Exemptions will be granted on religious grounds upon receiving a written request from parents or guardians stating objections to the examination (Florida Statutes § 1003.22). Clay County District Schools allows a 30-day grace period for the school entry health examination. Proof of exam must be turned in within 30 days of enrollment.
A Florida Certificate of Immunization, DH680 form, and DH681 (Religious Exemption) are the only acceptable immunization certificates for admittance grades PreK-12. Required immunizations include (Florida Statutes § 1003.22):
- Four or five doses of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTaP) vaccine
- Two or three doses of hepatitis B (HepB) vaccine
- Three, four, or five doses of polio vaccine*
- Two doses of measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine
- Two doses of varicella vaccine for K - 8**
- Two doses of varicella vaccine for grades 10 - 12

*If a fourth dose of vaccine is administered before fourth birthday, a fifth dose of polio vaccine is required for kindergarten entry only.

**Varicella vaccine is not required if varicella disease is documented by a healthcare provider.

An official letter or transcript from the proper school authority that shows a record of attendance, academic information, and grade placement of the student is requested from the parent at registration. The school will request official records from the receiving school once the parent has completed the registration request documents.
Social Security Number (District request)
Proof of Residency
- Current mortgage statement, lease, or deed
- Current utility bill or letter of service connection
- Parent’s government-issued photo ID

Homeless Students

As defined by Florida Statute § 1003.01 homeless children may lack a fixed, regular, and/or adequate nighttime residence and include children who are:

Sharing the housing of others due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason;
Living in motels, hotels, travel trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative accommodations;
Living in emergency or transitional shelters or abandoned in hospitals;
Sleeping in a place that is not ordinarily used as a sleeping place for human beings;
Living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings;
Migrant and living in one of the above.

Homeless children and youth will be immediately enrolled even when documents typically required for enrollment are unable to be provided. Families claiming to be homeless and needing enrollment assistance should be referred to Project REACH Homeless Education Program and if needed, provided assistance to obtain necessary documentation within approximately 30-days.

Military Families Guidelines

The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children was implemented to accommodate children from military families who have been transferred from one state to another. The purpose of the Compact is to make this transition as seamless as possible. The Compact applies to active members of the Uniformed Services, members or veterans of the Uniformed Services who are severely injured and medically discharged or retired for a period of one year after medical discharge or retirement, and members of the Uniformed Services who die on active duty or as a result of injuries sustained on active duty for a period of one year after death. The district will implement the requirements listed in Florida Statute § 1000.36,

Transfer of Educational Records and Enrollment

In the event that the parent cannot obtain official educational records, the sending school will furnish a complete set of “unofficial, educational records.” When the receiving school obtains these records, the student will be enrolled and appropriately placed pending validation by the official records. To be admitted into the receiving school, the transferring student must provide the following:
- Official military orders showing that the military member was assigned to the state in which the child was previously enrolled and attended school. If the child was residing with a legal guardian and not the military member, a copy of the family care plan or proof of guardianship will be provided;
- An official letter or transcript from the school authorities of the sending school showing attendance, academic, and grade placement information;
- Evidence of date of birth.
- FL680 and Physical must be provided within 30 days of enrollment when a copy of the military transfer orders is presented.
- Two proofs of residency for the registering school (current mortgage statement, lease or deed, and current utility bill).
Advance Enrollment allows the military family to register for school without a physical address based on transfer orders: however, the family must provide proof of residency showing zoning within 10 days of arrival.
Continuing the student’s academic program from the previous school should be paramount when considering placement. The receiving school may conduct further evaluations to ensure appropriate placement;
School districts will have flexibility in waiving course/program prerequisites for placement in courses/programs.

Absence as Related to Deployment Activities

A student whose parent/legal guardian is an active duty member of the uniformed services and has been called to duty for, is on leave from, or immediately returned from deployment to a combat zone or combat support posting, will be granted additional excused absences at the discretion of the superintendent or principal to visit with his or her parent/legal guardian.

Graduation of Children From Military Families

In order to facilitate the on-time graduation of children of military families, schools will incorporate the following procedures:

Waive specific course requirements for graduation if similar coursework has been satisfactorily completed in the sending school or will provide reasonable justification for denial. If a waiver is not provided to a student who would qualify to graduate from the sending school, the receiving school will provide an alternative means of acquiring coursework for that graduation to occur on time;
Exit exams: Receiving schools will accept any of the following testing information:
- Exit or End-of-Course exams required for graduation from the sending state;
- National norm-referenced achievement tests;
- Alternative testing in lieu of testing requirements for graduation in the receiving state.
If a student transfers during their senior year who is ineligible to graduate from the receiving school after all alternatives have been considered, the two schools will communicate to ensure the receipt of a diploma from the sending school if the student meets the graduation requirements from that school.
Clay Virtual Academy students from military families that move from Clay County but maintain residency in Florida and a mailing address in Clay County that is checked regularly may remain enrolled in Clay Virtual Academy. Military families should consider onsite state testing requirements when making enrollment decisions. A military student may enroll as a homeschool student utilizing CVA as the curriculum of choice.

Eligibility

Special power of attorney, relative to the guardianship of a child of a military family and executed under applicable law will be sufficient for enrollment and all other actions requiring parental participation and consent;
A transitioning military child who is placed in the care of a non-custodial parent or other person standing in loco parentis may continue to attend the school in which they are enrolled while residing with the custodial parent;
The school will make every effort to obtain eligibility privileges for extracurricular activities, regardless of application deadlines, working in conjunction with the state high school athletic association, to the extent they are otherwise qualified.

Oversight, Enforcement, and Dispute Resolution

Please refer to the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children for information related to disputes or controversies. In addition, contact Clay County District Schools with questions pertaining to this subject.

Students Enrolling from Out-of-Country

Students who transfer from out of country to a Clay County District School with student records where grade placements differ, a school based committee (including the parent) should convene to discuss and determine the appropriate grade placement.

Students who transfer from out of country to a Clay County District School without student records should be placed age appropriately. The student’s age on September 1 of the school year in which enrollment occurs should be used to determine “age” at entry. (Age Placement Chart)

Transfer Grades & Report Card Grades

When students transfer from one school to another, the sending school is required to send all grades including those earned during the current grading period regardless of days enrolled.

Any report card grades that have been earned before enrolling into a CCDS school will be entered for the corresponding quarter/marking period and averaged with subsequent quarter/marking period grades to determine the student’s semester grade or full year grade for the course.

Any grades that have been earned prior to a student enrolling in a teacher’s class are at the discretion of the teacher on whether or not they will be added to the teacher’s grade book and included in the student’s overall grade for the class. Please see the Synergy GradeBook User Guide for how to add transfer grades for students new to CCDS.

Student’s enrolling during the school year who have not been enrolled in school for a quarter grading period (or equivalent) will be given a zero for the missing quarterly numeric grade. For example, if a student enrolls at the beginning of the second 2nd quarter but did not attend school during the first 1st quarter grading period, a zero grade would be assigned for all first 1st quarter grades. The student would then be subject to any grade recovery options available for that class to recover that quarterly grade.

The school receiving the student will assign progress report/report card grades when the student has been enrolled in the receiving school for fifteen (15) or more days. If the student has been at the receiving school for less than fifteen (15) days, the grades received from the sending school will be assigned as the progress report/report card grades for the student. Please see the Synergy GradeBook User Guide for how to post grades for transfer students. Receiving schools will assign progress report grades when the student has been enrolled in the school for fifteen (15) or more days. The primary responsibility for assigning grades rests with the teacher subject to approval by the principal.

If a transfer student does not have numeric grades available, the following conversion chart can be used for averaging purposes:

A+ = 100	A = 95	O = 95
B+ = 89	B = 85	S = 80
C+ = 79	C = 75	N = 75
D+ = 69	D = 65	U = 59
	F = 55

Promotion

Student promotion in Clay County District Schools is based upon an evaluation of each student’s progress toward meeting the appropriate grade level standards and expectations in the areas of English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies using multiple data sources. Decisions regarding promotion should be based on consideration of the following:

Formative assessments, classroom assignments, daily observations, standardized tests, state assessments, mastery of Course Performance Standards/Grade Level Expectations, district competencies and objectives, and other data, as appropriate or required. Florida Statutes § 1012.28(5).

Responsibility for determining each student’s level of performance is that of the classroom teacher, subject to the review and final approval of the principal.

Students not meeting desired levels of proficiency as determined by the district and/or as evidenced by the results of state-mandated tests are to be provided remedial instruction designed to foster their progress toward mastery of essential concepts and required standards. remediation may be provided through, but not limited to, one or more of the following: 3rd grade summer reading program, summer school coursework (grades 6-12) , extended day or school year services/academic tutoring, parent tutorial programs, mentoring, previously approved contracted academic services, modified curriculum, and exceptional education services. Additionally, students may be assigned to the same grade or course for the next school year. It is the intent of the school district that students should be retained as little as possible. Retention of students must be considered if the student has been provided remedial instruction and upon reassessment falls below determined cutoff points on the district criteria for retention or on assessments as prescribed by the state. Students must not be retained without documentation that remediation was provided in a timely and comprehensive manner that was communicated with parents.

Specific promotion criteria have been established for certain grade levels. Please see those sections for details:

Elementary Grades Promotion (K-5)
Middle Grades Promotion (6-8)
High School Grades Promotion (9-12)
English Language Learners Promotion

Attendance

Regular school attendance is a necessary part of a student’s education. Students who attend school regularly become better readers, develop strong work ethic, build connections with adults and peers, and achieve higher levels of learning and increase post-secondary opportunities. Florida Law Florida Statutes § 1003.21 states that all children who are either (1) six years of age, (2) who will be six years old by February 1 of any school year, or (3) who are older than six years of age but who have not attained the age of 16 years, must attend school regularly during the entire school term. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian and students to attend school daily and on time.

Perfect Attendance

Per School Board Policy, Perfect Attendance is awarded to students who have been neither absent, nor tardy.. A student checked out prior to 10:00 a.m. will be considered as absent for purposes of “perfect attendance.” If a student is checked out after 10:00 a.m., they are considered present and “perfect attendance” is not affected. (SDCC Policy 4.02 G) Absences approved for religious reasons do not affect perfect attendance.

Excused & Unexcused Absences

It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to provide a written statement to the school explaining the absence within three (3) school days following the return of the student to school. An absence from school under the following circumstances will be considered excused:

The absence was with the knowledge and consent of the school principal
Personal illness, injury, or other insurmountable condition
Death in the family
Scheduled doctor or dentist appointments
Religious holidays of a student’s religious faith

If a student is continually sick and repeatedly absent from school, he or she must be under the supervision of a physician to receive an excuse from attendance. Such an excuse provides that a student’s condition justifies absence for more than five (5) days per grading period/ten (10) days per semester/20 days per year. The principal of the school in conjunction with the Student Services Team will determine when it is necessary to require a physician’s statement from the student’s medical provider and require the parent/guardian to provide a copy to their child’s school within a reasonable period of time as determined by the principal or designee.

An absence from school under the following circumstances may be considered unexcused:

The absence was without the parent/guardian’s knowledge or consent.
Permission for the absence was requested but denied by the principal of the student’s school.
No written statement of the absence from the parent/guardian has been received by the school explaining the reason for the absence within three (3) school days following the return of the student to school.

The principal has administrative discretion in cases of excessive absences to reject a written note and consider the absence as unexcused when absences are seriously impacting academic progress, with the exception of sickness, injury, or insurmountable conditions.

Accumulated unexcused tardiness and early departure time equivalent to one full school day may be counted as one unexcused absence in the total number of unexcused absences required for possible legal action.

Missed instructional time due to tardiness and early departures will be accumulated as excused or unexcused using the same policies as absent days.

Make-Up Work

Students who have excused absences must be allowed to make up missed work. If a student has excessive absences, he/she must demonstrate mastery of the student performance standards. Students who are absent with an excused absence on the day a paper, project, test, or other major assignment is due will be allowed to turn in the assignment or take the test/examination without academic penalty. Work assigned before the absence is due the day the student returns. Work assigned during the absence will be due in the amount of time equal to the number of days absent unless an intervention plan is established, which indicates otherwise. A student with the written consent of his or her parent/guardian will be excused from attendance in school on a particular day or days or at a particular time of day and will be excused from any examination, study or work assignment at such time to participate in religious instruction, for observance of a religious holiday or because tenets of his or her religion forbid secular activity at such time.

For unexcused absences and out-of-school suspension, work assigned or tests that cover instruction before the unexcused absence must be taken and graded. Work assigned and due during an unexcused absence may be accepted for credit at the teacher's discretion. If the team determines it is appropriate to accept make-up work for unexcused absences, the principal or designee will seek input from the team, including the teacher, and make a final determination.

All work must be completed for a grade within two weeks after the last day of the grading period. This may not extend past the last day of school. Extensions to submit completed work after the end of the quarter must be approved by the principal.

Attendance Team & Chronic Absenteeism

The Every Student Succeeds Act changes the focus of attendance from truancy to chronic absences. Each CCDS school implements a multi-tiered model of interventions for attendance. Interventions encourage good attendance school-wide (Tier 1). Additionally, teacher and classroom specific interventions for attendance may be needed (Tier 2) and attendance teams may convene to further support individual students (Tier 3).

Clay County District Schools utilizes Student Success Team and attendance team meetings to develop preventive and supportive interventions designed to improve regular attendance. The goal of the team is to develop a plan to help the student become more successful by utilizing strategies specific to each student including, but not limited to:

Changes in the learning environment
Implementation of an incentive plan
Mentoring
Student/family counseling
Tutoring
Evaluation of credits, and alternative educational options
Attendance contracts
Agency referrals
Remediation plan to help the student with make-up work

School based Student Success Teams may consist of the student, the parent, the teacher, an administrator, the school social worker, and any other relevant staff. Student Success Teams meet regularly and provide prevention and data-driven intervention. The district attendance team convenes regarding habitually truant students as outlined in the Attendance Decision Tree.

Florida law defines "habitual truant" as a student who has 15 or more unexcused absences within 90 calendar days with or without the knowledge or consent of the student's parent or guardian, and who is subject to compulsory school attendance under Florida Statutes § 1003.21(1) and (2)(a)

Good Attendance	95%+ attendance (Approx. 4-5 days absent each semester)
At-Risk	90% attendance (Approx. 5-9 days absent each semester)
Habitual Truancy	<80% attendance (Approx. 15 days absent each semester)

If the parent or guardian in charge of the student refuses to participate in the attendance interventions and strategies developed by the Student Success Team because he or she believes that those strategies are unnecessary or inappropriate, the parent or guardian in charge of the student may appeal to the school board. Florida Statutes § 1003.26

The Student Services Team will be diligent in facilitating intervention services. Referring the student for consequences should not be considered until all resources have been exhausted. The team will report the child to the superintendent only when all reasonable efforts to resolve non-attendance behavior are exhausted. Florida Statutes § 1003.23(1)(d)

If the board’s final determination is that the strategies and interventions of the attendance procedures are appropriate, and the parent or guardian in charge of the student still refuses to participate or cooperate, the superintendent may seek criminal prosecution for non-compliance with compulsory school attendance. Florida Statutes § 1003.26

If nonattendance continues after the implementation of intervention strategies, the superintendent or designee will file a Truancy Petition, defined in Florida Statute § 984.151, or the school representative, a parent, law enforcement, a court, or the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) will initiate a referral to a CINS (Children in Need of Service) provider or a case staffing committee established pursuant to Florida Statute § 984.12, and procedures established by the district school board. The purpose of the referral to CINS is to secure prevention services for a habitually truant student and the family Florida Statute § 1003.27(3). The decision to proceed with a CINS petition or a Truancy Petition is a decision the district attendance team will make when the members agree that a referral should be made and reasonable time has be allowed to complete interventions to remedy conditions contributing to the truant behavior in compliance with the requirements of Florida Statutes § 1003.26.

The Learnfare Program requires children of cash assistance recipients to attend school regularly, or recipients risk having their cash assistance reduced. (SDCC Policy 4.01 C3)

General Curriculum

Florida State Academic Standards

Student Performance Standards in Florida are defined as the K - 12 Academic Standards for the State of Florida. This represents the core content of the curricula to be taught and specifies the core content knowledge and skills that K - 12 public school students are expected to acquire to be college and career-ready. The standards and benchmarks describe what students should know and be able to do.

Statewide & Progress Monitoring Assessment Program

All students must participate in statewide assessment tests at designated grade levels as required by Florida Statute § 1008.22. The primary purposes of the student assessment program are to provide information needed to improve public schools by enhancing the learning gains of all students and to inform parents of the educational progress of their public school students . The program must be designed to:

Align to the core curricular content established in the state academic standards.
Provide data for making decisions regarding school accountability and recognition.
Identify the educational strengths and needs of students and the readiness of students to be promoted to the next grade level or to graduate from high school with a standard diploma.
Assess how well educational goals and curricular standards are met at the school, district, and state levels.
Provide information to aid in the evaluation and development of educational programs and policies.
Provide information on the performance of Florida students compared with that of other students across the United States.

For participation guidelines for the Florida Alternate Assessment for Students with significant cognitive disabilities please click here.

Local Assessments & Progress Monitoring

Clay County District schools will use the Lexia Learning Platform to assess reading locally. Lexia Core 5 reading is utilized in grades pre-kindergarten through grade 5. Lexia Core 5 reading is an adaptive, blended learning program that accelerates the development of literacy skills for students of all abilities. Lexia Power Up, utilized in grades 6 through grade 12, accelerates literacy gains for students in grades 6 to 12 who are at risk of not meeting college and career-ready standards.

To locally assess math, Clay County District schools will use the i-Ready math diagnostic three times a year for math progress monitoring in grades K - 5. CCDS will use the ALEKS Knowledge Check at least two times a year for math progress monitoring in grade 6.

Required district achievement testing and statewide assessments do not impact a student's report card grade.

Required Instruction

Clay County District Schools utilizes a district adopted curriculum to address Florida State Statute 1003.42 which requires districts to provide comprehensive age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate K-12 health education that addresses concepts of community health, consumer health, environmental health, and family life, including:

a. Mental and emotional health.

b.Injury prevention and safety.

c.Internet safety.

d. Nutrition.

e. Personal health.

f. Prevention and control of disease.

g. Substance use and abuse.

h. Prevention of child sexual abuse, exploitation, and human trafficking.

The health education curriculum for students in grades 7 through 12 shall include a teen dating violence and abuse component that includes, but is not limited to, the definition of dating violence and abuse, the warning signs of dating violence and abusive behavior, the characteristics of healthy relationships, measures to prevent and stop dating violence and abuse, and community resources available to victims of dating violence and abuse.

Parental Rights

Clay County District Schools views parents as vital partners in supporting their student’s academic success and overall well-being. There are holistic benefits to a student’s educational experience when parents are actively involved and invested in their child’s growth and development. The district aims to foster a collaborative environment where families feel empowered and engaged in their child’s learning. In accordance with Florida Statute 1014.04, CCDS employees reinforce the fundamental right of parents to make decisions regarding the upbringing and control of their children. By establishing open lines of communication, providing resources, and encouraging parental involvement in school activities and decision-making processes, CCDS hopes to create a supportive environment where students can thrive both academically and personally.

Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)

A Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) is an evidence-based framework designed to ensure that students receive the instruction they need in order to be successful. The work of the CCDS District MTSS Team and School-Based MTSS Teams includes:

engaging in data-based problem solving
identifying areas of opportunity for student growth
developing plans for instruction and intervention support matched to students’ needs
ensuring that instruction and intervention support matched to students’ needs are implemented and progress monitored

The tiers, or levels of student support, represent a way to organize resources to provide instruction/intervention based on student need. These are not locations for students, but rather specific instructional/intervention supports provided based on student need. Additional resources or supplemental supports (i.e. Tier 2 and Tier 3) are in addition to what all students receive (Core Instruction/Tier 1).

Three Levels of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support

Core Instruction (Tier 1): is standards-aligned; includes accommodations for students with a disability, students with an Individual Education Plan (IEP), and students who are ELL; provides print-rich, explicit, and systematic, scaffolded, differentiated instruction, and corrective feedback; builds background and content knowledge; incorporates writing in response to reading; and incorporates the principles of Universal Design of Learning.
Supplemental Instruction/Intervention (Tier 2): is standards-aligned; includes accommodations for students with a disability, students with an IEP, and students who are ELL; provides explicit, systematic, small group teacher-led instruction matched to student need, targeting gaps in learning to reduce barriers to student’s ability to meet Tier 1 expectations; provides multiple opportunities to practice the targeted skill(s) and receive corrective feedback; and occurs in addition to core instruction (Tier 1).
Intensive, Individualized Instruction/Intervention (Tier 3): is standards-aligned; includes accommodations for students with a disability, students with an IEP, and students who are ELL; provides explicit, systematic, individualized instruction based on student need, one-on-one or very small group instruction with more guided practice, immediate corrective feedback, and frequent progress monitoring; and occurs in addition to core instruction (Tier 1) and Tier 2 interventions.

The basic elements of MTSS are required by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); therefore, it is the basis for all broad-based initiatives for schools striving to increase student outcomes. Response to Intervention (RtI) has been described in Florida as MTSS for providing high quality instruction and intervention matched to student needs using learning rate over time and level of performance to inform instructional decisions. This system is depicted as a three-tiered framework that uses increasingly more intense instruction and interventions matched to need.

Student outcomes are improved when schools and families collaborate to support student learning. The collaboration includes regular communication regarding a student’s progress, information about how the family can support their student at home, and notification if a student requires additional support (including why those supports are needed and what supports are provided). If a student requires additional support documented in Synergy in a Progress Monitoring Plan (PMP), Tier 2 Intervention Plan, or Tier 3 Intervention Plan, communication with the family about the student’s progress will happen at least one time per month.

Home Education

Home Education Program is defined in Florida Statute § 1002.41.

Enrollment as a home education student requires

Intent to homeschool filed with the school district home education office within 30 days of starting the program.
Student portfolio - a log of educational activities made contemporaneously with instruction that includes: the title of any reading materials used and samples of student work. The portfolio must be maintained for at least two (2) years and be available for review within 15 days if requested by the home education office.
Submit an annual program evaluation. Failure to complete the evaluation places the program out of compliance and at risk of termination. If terminated, the parent would have to enroll the student in another school choice option within three (3) business days and would not be able to open a new home education program for 180 calendar days from the date of termination.

Clay County secondary schools, including Clay Virtual Academy (CVA), are accredited by Cognia. A student seeking to enter or re-enter a Clay County public school from a home-educating program or a non-accredited school must meet all entrance requirements (state and district) that any other student must meet. The student will be enrolled at the appropriate grade level based on validated academic performance. A student may enroll full-time (K - 12) or part-time (6 - 12) in Clay Virtual Academy and remain homeschooled.

All transfer work from a home education program other than Clay Virtual Academy, Florida Virtual School (FLVS), or an accredited program will be posted on a “pass/fail” basis and will not be utilized in GPA calculation unless the grade is validated by the student taking an approved exam.

Florida Statutes § 1006 allows homeschooled students to participate in interscholastic extracurricular activities of their attendance-zoned school. The home education student must meet the same requirements of grades, residency, and behavior as required of other students. They must be permitted to enroll in curricular classes that are required of the extra-curricular activity (Ex.: ROTC, Band, etc.). The home education student must register his/her intent to participate in extracurricular activities with the school before the beginning of the activity in which he or she wishes to participate. The student standards for participation in interscholastic extracurricular activities begin with the student’s first semester of the 9th grade. If a student’s cumulative GPA falls below 2.0 in the specified courses, the student must execute an academic performance contract with the district school board, the FHSAA, and the student’s parents. At a minimum, the contract must require the student to attend summer school to improve his/her GPA. A student must also maintain good conduct to remain eligible to participate in interscholastic extracurricular activities.

Homeschool students enrolled with Clay Virtual Academy have opportunities to participate in CVA social activities. Homeschool students may also participate in social activities at their zoned school. Participation eligibility for homeschool students is the same for public school students (grades, attendance, behavior, and any other rules/policies in place for non-home education students). These social activities include but are not exclusive to homecoming, Prom, and Grad Bash.

Homeschool students do not receive a Florida Public High School Diploma, even if they choose to take courses with CVA. To receive a CVA diploma, students must enroll as public school students for their entire senior year and meet District and State graduation requirements, including credits and assessment requirements. Should homeschooled students wish to graduate from a high school and receive that school’s diploma; they must re-enroll for their entire senior year and meet all graduation requirements.

Homeschool students are not required to participate in state assessments but may choose to do so. Parents need to coordinate state assessments with their zoned public school in early February to ensure the student is scheduled for any appropriate assessments for Spring testing.

Homeschool parents may request a psycho-educational evaluation of a student suspected of having a disability by contacting the district ESE office. Some select homeschool students who are determined eligible for exceptional student education and require an ESE therapy/related service (language therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy) determined by the IEP team, may receive the therapy/related service at the student’s zoned school via an ESE Services Plan. Homeschool students who participate in the Family Empowerment Scholarship Program are not eligible to receive ESE therapy/related services, as parents are required to enroll their child in public school for the amount of time the therapies are provided. Attendance at a public school while receiving Family Empowerment Scholarship funds forfeits the student’s eligibility for the program. Contact the school’s ESE department for more details about Services Plans.

Section 3 - Elementary Grades (K-5)

Enrollment & School Transfer

Enrollment to Kindergarten & First Grade

Please note that no provisions exist for early admission to Kindergarten, nor to First Grade. All enrollment and grade placements will follow the provisions set forth below:

Kindergarten Enrollment (Florida Statutes § 1003.21)

Any child who has attained the age of five years on or before September 1 will be admitted to kindergarten at any time during that school year.

Students transferring from a nonpublic Florida Kindergarten class to CCDS must provide the following:

Evidence of date of birth (five years of age on or before September 1)
Evidence of medical examination performed within the last twelve months must be

submitted within 30 days of enrollment

Proof of immunization evidenced on the FL 680 or 681
Social Security Number (District request)
Proof of Residency

First Grade Enrollment (Florida Statutes § 1003.21)

Any child who has attained the age of six years on or before September 1 will be admitted to first grade if kindergarten has been successfully completed. Successful completion of kindergarten will be defined as:

Enrollment in a public school; or

Satisfactory completion in a nonpublic kindergarten program as evidenced by a report card or letter from the previous school's principal or the Verification of Entrance to First Grade form verifying completion under Florida Statutes § 1003.21.

Students transferring from a nonpublic Florida first grade class to CCDS must provide the following:

Evidence of successful completion of kindergarten in a nonpublic Florida school
Evidence of date of birth (six years of age on or before September 1)
Evidence of medical examination performed within the last twelve months must be

submitted within 30 days of enrollment

Proof of immunization evidenced on the FL 680 or 681
Social Security Number (District request)
Proof of Residency

Underage Out-of-State Transfers from Public and Nonpublic Schools

Entry into kindergarten and first grade, by out-of-state transfer students, who do not meet regular age requirements for admission to Florida Public Schools, will be based on their previous state’s age requirements for entrance into public schools and will be in accordance with Florida Administrative Rule 6A 1.0985.

Any student who transfers from an out-of-state public or nonpublic school will be admitted upon presentation of the following data

An official letter or transcript from the proper school authority which shows records
of attendance, academic information, and grade placement of the student
Evidence of immunization against communicable diseases as required by Florida

Statutes § 1003.22 on a Florida 680 or 681

Evidence of date of birth in accordance with Florida Statutes § 1003.21
Evidence of medical examination performed within the last twelve months and
Social Security Number (District request)
Proof of Residency

Enrollment from Home Education Program (Florida Statutes § 1003.21 and Florida Statute § 1002.41)

When a student is transferring into a Clay County District elementary school from a home education program, the child must meet all district and state entrance qualifications. Temporary grade placement will be based on the following variables:

Age and maturity;
Standardized achievement test results;
Previous records in public and private schools, which include state assessments and;
Evidence of work and achievement while in home education

Final grade placement will be determined by the principal at the end of four weeks.

Class Change Requests

A parent may request a transfer of their child(ren) to another classroom teacher within the same grade or course at any time during the year based on (1) the teacher’s out-of-field certification status or (2) personal preference. The parent may not, however, choose a specific classroom teacher. At the time of the request, the school must approve or deny the request within two weeks. If the request is denied, the school will notify the parent and specify the reasons for the denial. Florida Statute § 1003.3101.

Student Class Change Request Procedures

Parent makes a written request to the school principal to transfer their child(ren) to another teacher (must be in the same grade level and/or course). Before principal consideration, a parent-teacher conference must occur;
The principal considers the request and notifies the parent within two weeks. The principal must consider:
- class size
- grade and course
- any variable that would impact the student or class that is being considered

(ex. discipline issues, teacher input)

If approved, parent and teacher are notified;
If not approved, the parent is notified with an explanation given.
Consistent with School Board rules and in accordance with Florida Statute § 1012.28(5), the superintendent has designated the school's principal as the final authority in the placement of students in a program(s) or classes.

Multiple Birth Siblings Classroom Placement (Florida Statute § 1003.06)

The parents of multiple birth siblings who are assigned to the same grade level and school may request that the school place the siblings in the same classroom or in separate classrooms. The request must be made no later than five (5) days before the first day of each school year or five (5) days after the first day of attendance of students during the school year if the students are enrolled in the school after the school year commences.

The school may recommend the appropriate classroom placement for the siblings and may provide professional educational advice to assist the parent with the decision regarding appropriate classroom placement. A school is not required to place multiple birth siblings in the same classroom if factual evidence of performance shows proof that the siblings should be separated or if the request would require the school district to add an additional class to the grade level of the siblings.

Further, at the end of the first grading period following the multiple birth siblings’ enrollment in the school, if the principal of the school, in consultation with the teacher of each classroom in which the siblings are placed, determines that the requested classroom placement is disruptive to the school, the principal may determine the appropriate classroom placement for the siblings. A parent may appeal the principal’s decision in the manner provided by school district policy. During an appeal, the multiple-birth siblings must remain in the classroom chosen by the parent. This does not affect the right or obligation involving placement decisions pertaining to students with disabilities under state law or the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. It also does not affect the right of a school district, principal, or teacher to remove a student from a classroom pursuant to school district discipline policies.

Curriculum, Assessment, & Instruction

General Curriculum

Each student in grades K - 5 will receive regularly scheduled instruction based on the district-adopted curriculum. Curriculum content for all subjects must integrate critical-thinking, problem-solving, and workforce-literacy skills; communication, reading, and writing skills; math skills, collaboration skills; contextual and applied-learning skills; technology-literacy skills; information and media-literacy skills; and civic-engagement skills, Florida Statutes § 1003.41, Schools may also offer courses in art, music, media, and/or technology. The instructional schedule should be at least five hours and thirty-five minutes. Flexibility in the designing of school schedules is permissible and may reflect the integration of content determined necessary to provide an appropriate instructional program.

Physical Education & Recess

In accordance with Florida Statute § 1003.455 Clay County District Schools encourages physical fitness, healthful, and active lifestyles. K - 5 students and 6th-grade students enrolled in an elementary school are required to have 150 minutes each week with at least 30 consecutive minutes on any day during which physical education instruction is conducted. The physical education requirement will be waived for a student in grades kindergarten through grade eight who meets one of the following criteria:

Student is required to enroll in a remedial course
Parent indicates in writing to the school that:
- the parent requests that the student enroll in one of the courses provided by the school as an alternative option to physical education
- the student is participating in physical activities outside the school equal to or in excess of mandated requirements.

Free-play recess will be included in the elementary day for grades K - 5 for 100 minutes weekly in accordance with Florida Statute § 1003.45 (6).

Homework Policy

Homework is defined as assignments that support specific concepts taught during the school day. Incomplete classwork is not considered to be homework but rather a continuation of the student’s daily classwork responsibility.

Homework should not exceed 20 - 30 minutes for students in grades K - 3 or 30 - 45 minutes for students in grades 4 - 5. No homework is to be assigned over school holidays nor on the student’s statewide assessment days.

State Assessment

Students are evaluated with a coordinated screening and progress monitoring system provided by the Florida Department of Education. The FAST progress monitoring and coordinated screening program includes VPK through grade 5 English Language Arts (ELA) Reading and VPK through grade 5 Mathematics assessments that are aligned to the B.E.S.T. standards and are administered three times per year pursuant to Florida Statutes § 1008.25(8)(b). The statewide grade 5 Science assessment and the BEST Writing assessment will be administered annually.

All students, unless specifically exempted, must take all statewide and local achievement tests at their appropriate grade level.

A student who does not meet specific levels of performance in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies will be provided intensive, explicit, systematic, and multisensory interventions to meet their academic needs. Test accommodations and modification of procedures may occur, as necessary, for students in Exceptional Student Education, students with a 504 plan, and for students who have Limited English Proficiency, as provided through the Individual Education Plan (IEP), Education Plan (EP), 504 Plan, or the ELL Plan.

Parents can access their student’s state-wide assessment score information on the FLDOE Family Portal where they can see and print their student’s scale score and achievement level, as well as a chart indicating the student’s scale score and where it falls in the achievement level. Results from the Fall 2020 Florida Statewide Assessments onwards are also provided. Information on how to log in to the Family Portal can be found below.

Reporting Student Progress & Grading

Report Cards - Florida Statute § 1003.33

Parents will be notified at regular intervals of the academic progress of their child, in accordance with the provisions of Florida Statutes § 1003.02(1)(h)2. Synergy ParentVUE and StudentVUE programs allow parents/guardians and students access to monitor up-to-date grades, attendance, schedule, and assignments at any time. Therefore, printed Interim Reports will no longer be sent home with students. Parents are encouraged to use the Interim Report dates on the Student Calendar to review and discuss grades and concerns with their student(s). If parents are unable to view their student’s progress electronically on a mobile device or computer, a printed copy may be requested from the teacher.

Student report cards will be available in ParentVUE at the end of each quarter.

Report cards will contain:

The student’s academic performance in each class or course grades K - 6 based upon examinations as well as written papers, class participation, and other academic performance criteria (performance will be considered at grade level unless otherwise stated).
The student’s instructional level in each class or course grades K-6.
The student’s conduct and behavior in each class or course grades K-6.
The student’s attendance, including absences and tardies.

The final report card for a school year will contain a statement indicating end-of-the-year status or performance or non-performance at grade level, acceptable or unacceptable behavior and attendance, and promotion or non-promotion.

Students may also participate in courses such as physical education, music, art, and technology. Performance or nonperformance in these classes may be communicated by the teacher via the student information system mail system.

Every grading period, the teacher will indicate whether the student is working ON (On Grade Level) or BL (Below Grade Level) for all core academic subjects. BL may only be marked for a student who was instructed and assessed using below-level curriculum materials for the majority of their Tier 1 instruction and with the approval of the school administrator.

Instructional Level
A	Above Grade Level
O	On Grade Level
B	Below Grade Level

For English Language Learners, the teacher will inform parents in the comment section that, “The English Language Proficiency Level was taken into consideration when planning instruction, assessments, and grading for the student.”

Students in Kindergarten - Second grade with significant cognitive disabilities and working on the Participatory or Supported Level Florida State Standards Access Points will be evaluated with a modified report card.

Report Cards K - 1

The Report Cards for K - 1 students will include grades earned in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies; and conduct and behavior ratings. These are

evaluated through the use of the following scale

Grades			Conduct & Behavior
E	90 - 100	Student consistently exceeds grade level expectations.	O	Outstanding
S	70 - 89	Student consistently meets grade level expectations.	S	Satisfactory
N	60 - 69	Student does not consistently meet grade level expectations.	N	Needs Improvement
U	0 - 59	Student does not meet grade level expectations.	U	Unsatisfactory

Report Cards 2 - 5

The Report Cards for 2 - 5 students will include grades earned in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies; and conduct and behavior ratings. These are evaluated through the use of the following scale:

Grades		Conduct & Behavior
A	90 - 100	O	Outstanding
B	80 - 89	S	Satisfactory
C	70 - 79	N	Needs Improvement
D	60 - 69	U	Unsatisfactory
F	0 - 59

Honor Roll (Grades 2 - 5)

To be eligible for the Honor Roll in grades 2 - 6, students must be working on grade level. Principals are encouraged to institute alternative methods to recognize the achievement of students who earn all “A’s” and/or “A’s and B’s” but are not working on grade level.

For “A” Honor Roll:

All “A’s” are required in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. Conduct grades do not count toward Honor Roll. To attain a year-long “A” honor roll the student must attain “A” honor roll each grading period during the year.

For “A/B” Honor Roll:

Grades of “A” or “B” are required in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. Conduct grades do not count toward the Honor Roll. To attain a year-long honor roll for “A/B” the student must achieve the honor roll each grading period during the year.

Reporting Student Progress

The district will report to the parent (in their primary language) of each student, the progress toward achieving state and district expectations for proficiency in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies and the student’s results on each statewide assessment test. The evaluation of each student’s progress must be based on the student’s classroom work, observations, tests, district and state assessments, and other relevant data.

Per Florida Statutes § 1002.20, parents/guardians of public school students must receive accurate and timely information regarding their child’s academic progress and must be informed of ways they can help their child to succeed in school. Therefore, if at any time during a grading period, it is apparent that a student may fail or is routinely doing unsatisfactory work in any course or grade assignment, teachers must notify the student’s parent/guardian and document the contact in the Synergy Contact Log. This contact allows for an opportunity to use intervention strategies to correct deficiencies in academic areas.

Intervention & Remediation

Reading and Math Deficiencies & Parental Notification (Florida Statutes § 1008.25)

Any student in grades kindergarten - 3 who exhibits a substantial deficiency in reading and/or math, or the characteristics of dyslexia or dyscalculia will be provided intensive, explicit, systematic, and multisensory reading interventions and/or systematic and explicit mathematics interventions immediately following the school’s identification of the reading and/or math deficiency.

A school will not wait for a student to receive a failing grade at the end of a grading period to identify the student as having a substantial reading and/or math deficiency In addition, a school will not wait until an evaluation pursuant to Florida Statute § 1003.57 is completed to provide appropriate, evidence-based interventions for a student whose parent submits documentation from a professional, licensed under Chapter 490 which demonstrates that the student has been diagnosed with dyslexia and/or dyscalculia. Such interventions will be initiated upon receipt of the documentation and based on the student’s specific areas of difficulty as identified by the licensed professional.

The student’s reading and/or math proficiency will be monitored and the intensive interventions will continue until the student demonstrates grade level proficiency in a manner determined by the district, which may include achieving a Level 3 on the statewide, standardized English Language Arts (ELA) and/or Mathematics assessment.

After the initial notification, the school will communicate with the parent monthly regarding the student’s response to intensive reading and/or math interventions and supports.

Reading Scholarships

Florida Statutes § 1002.411 provides reading scholarship accounts for students. Contingent upon available funds, and on a first-come, first-served basis, each student in grades 3 - 5 who is enrolled in a Florida public school is eligible for a reading scholarship account if the student scored below a Level 3 on the grade 3 or grade 4 statewide, standardized English Language Arts (ELA) assessment in the prior school year. An eligible student who is classified as an ELL and is enrolled in a program or receiving services that are specifically designed to meet the instructional needs of ELL students will receive priority.

For an eligible student to receive a reading scholarship account, the student’s parent must:

Submit an application to an eligible nonprofit scholarship-funding organization by the
deadline established by such organization; StepUpForStudents.org
Submit eligible expenses to the eligible nonprofit scholarship-funding organization for

reimbursement of qualifying expenditures, which may include: instructional materials, curriculum, tuition and fees for tutoring, summer education, and after-school education programs designed to improve reading or literacy skills

By September 30, CCDS will notify the parent (in their primary language) of each student in grades 3 - 5 who scored below a Level 3 on the statewide, standardized English Language Arts (ELA) assessment in the prior school year of the process to request and receive a reading scholarship, subject to available funds.

Extended Day Programs

The definition for extended day programs includes academic tutoring programs during the regular school term. Elementary schools, within the district, may provide academic tutoring before or after school, Saturdays, or other days that are not regular school days in addition to Summer Reading Camp. The purpose of the extended day program is to provide support for the students at risk of academic failure during the school term instead of waiting until the summer to provide remedial instruction.

The principal’s approval to recommend a student for academic tutoring should be made based on the student’s need to meet the district and state academic achievement levels.

Promotion

Elementary school personnel should utilize available resources to achieve parental understanding and cooperation regarding grade placement. The final decision is the responsibility of the principal. A student may be considered for promotion to the next higher grade with the exception of mandatory retention for third grade. For third-grade students, additional requirements apply. See the section on Promotion to Grade 4.

Considerations for Promotion to Next Grade

The following should be considered when making a decision for promotion:

An English Language Learner who has had less than two years of instruction in the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program (not including PreK).
Students with disabilities whose Individual Education Plan (IEP) indicates that participation in State/District standardized testing is not appropriate.
Students receiving intensive reading instruction for two or more years and at least one additional year of retention but still have a deficiency in reading.
- Intensive reading instruction must be provided the next year and documented on a Progress Monitoring Plan (PMP), a Tiered Intervention Plan, or Individual Education Plan for students with disabilities that includes specialized diagnostic information and specific reading strategies.
The principal must review and discuss the recommendation with the parent(s), teacher(s), and relevant school staff to determine promotion.

Any student may be assigned at any time during the school year to a lower grade if the principal determines standards have not been met and the student will benefit from the placement. Parents will be notified of the special assignment, and it will be documented in the student’s record.

The school district must consider an appropriate alternative placement for a student who has been retained for two (2) or more years. Students in grades K - 5 being considered for retention may be recommended for academic tutoring or summer school, if available. Student participation in these support services does not automatically result in promotion or retention. The principal of the student’s assigned school makes the final decision regarding promotion or retention.

Promotion to Grade 4 & Good Cause

Per Florida Statute § 1008.22, to be promoted to grade 4, a student must score a Level 2 or higher on the grade 3 statewide, standardized English Language Arts (ELA) assessment. If a student’s reading deficiency is not remedied by the end of grade 3, as demonstrated by scoring Level 2 or higher on the grade 3 statewide, standardized English Language Arts (ELA) assessment required under Florida Statute § 1008.22, the student must be retained. Florida Statutes § 1008.25(3)

Students may only be exempt from mandatory retention for good cause. Good cause exemptions are limited to the following:

English Language Learners who have had less than 2 years of instruction in an English for Speakers of Other Languages program based on the initial date of entry into a school in the United States.
Students with disabilities whose individual education plan indicates that participation in the statewide assessment program is not appropriate, consistent with the requirements of Florida Statutes § 1008.212.
Students who demonstrate an acceptable level of performance on an alternative standardized reading or English Language Arts (ELA) assessment approved by the Florida State Board of Education. Clay County District Schools utilizes the SAT-10 assessment as the alternative option.
A student who demonstrates through a student portfolio that he or she is performing at least at Level 2 on the statewide, standardized English Language Arts (ELA) assessment. Portfolio requirements are detailed below.
Students with disabilities who take the statewide, standardized English Language Arts (ELA) assessment and who have an individual education plan or a Section 504 plan that 2 reflects that the student has received intensive instruction in reading or English Language Arts (ELA) for more than two years but still demonstrates a deficiency and was previously retained in kindergarten, grade 1, grade 2 or grade 3.
Students who have received intensive reading intervention for two or more years but still demonstrate a deficiency in reading and who were previously retained in prekindergarten, kindergarten, grade 1, grade 2, or grade 3 for a total of two (2) years. A student may not be retained more than once in grade 3.

A student who is promoted to grade 4 with a good cause exemption will be provided intensive reading instruction and intervention that include specialized diagnostic information and specific reading strategies to meet the needs of the student. Students will be given a specialized diagnostic screener to identify the instructional needs to ameliorate gaps. Florida Statutes § 1008.25

The school principal will review and discuss such recommendations with the teacher and make the determination as to whether the student should be promoted or retained. If the school principal determines that the student should be promoted, the school principal will make such a recommendation in writing to the school district superintendent. The school district superintendent will accept or reject the school principal’s recommendation in writing. Florida Statutes § 1008.25(6) and Rule 6A-1.094221, F.A.C.)

Student Portfolios for Promotion to Grade 4

To promote a student using a student portfolio as a good cause exemption, there must be evidence that demonstrates the student’s mastery of the English Language Arts (ELA) Florida Standards in reading is equal to at least a Level 2 performance on the grade 3 statewide, standardized English Language Arts (ELA) assessment. Such evidence will be an organized collection of the student’s mastery of the English Language Arts (ELA) Florida Standards assessed by the grade 3 statewide, standardized English Language Arts (ELA) assessment. Schools must immediately begin collecting evidence for a portfolio when a student in grade 3 is identified as being at risk of retention or upon the request of the parent, whichever occurs first. For the 2024-25 school year, the portfolio must meet the following criteria:

Be selected by the student’s teacher;
Be an accurate picture of the student’s ability and only include student work that has been independently produced in the classroom;
Include evidence that the standards assessed by the grade 3 statewide, standardized English Language Arts (ELA) assessment have been met. Evidence is to include multiple choice items and passages that are approximately fifty percent literary text and fifty percent informational text, and that are between 100-700 words with an average of 500 words. Such evidence could include chapter or unit tests from the district’s/school’s adopted core reading curriculum aligned with the Language Arts Florida Standards or teacher-prepared assessments;
Be an organized collection of evidence of the student’s mastery of the Language Arts Florida Standards assessed by the grade 3 statewide, standardized English Language Arts (ELA) assessment. For each standard, there must be at least eight (8) examples of mastery as demonstrated by a grade of seventy (70) percent or above on each example; and
Be signed by the teacher and the principal as an accurate assessment of the required reading skills.

Students Not Meeting Good Cause Promotion Requirements

Clay County District Schools will provide written notification to the parent of a student who will be retained in grade 3 that his or her child has not met the proficiency level required for promotion and the reasons the child is not eligible for good cause exemption. This notification must comply with the aforementioned notification for the parent of a student with a substantial deficiency (see information above) in reading and must include a description of proposed interventions and supports that will be provided to the child to remediate the identified areas of reading deficiency. Florida Statutes § 1008.25(5) and (7)

Summer Reading Camps

Students retained in 3rd grade must be provided intensive interventions in reading to ameliorate the student’s specific reading deficiency and prepare the student for promotion to the next grade. These interventions must include participation in the school district’s summer reading camp, which must incorporate evidence-based, explicit, systematic, and multisensory reading instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and other strategies prescribed by the school district. Third-grade students participating in the school district’s summer reading camp must be provided with a highly effective teacher as determined by the teacher’s performance evaluation under Florida Statute § 1012.34, and the teacher must also be certified or endorsed in reading. Florida Statutes § 1008.25(7)

The district policy for Summer Reading Camp attendance requires that students not miss more than two days of camp. In the event a student is absent more than two days, he/she will be dropped from Summer Reading Camp and will not have the opportunity to take the SAT-10 test at the conclusion of camp. In addition, repeated tardiness or late pick-up (three or more) may also result in the student being dropped from the Summer Reading Camp program. This attendance policy is in place to ensure that students are provided with maximum time for intensive instruction.

Parents may make prior arrangements for their student to take the SAT-10 at their district school on the last day of Summer Reading Camp if they are taking remedial instruction through a private program.

Supports for Students Retained in Grade 3

Students retained in grade 3 will be provided with a highly effective teacher as determined by the teacher’s performance evaluation under Florida Statute § 1012.34, and the teacher must also be certified or endorsed in reading. These students must also be provided intensive interventions in reading to address the student’s specific reading deficiency and prepare the student for promotion to the next grade. These interventions must include:

Evidence-based, explicit, systematic, and multisensory reading instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and other strategies prescribed by the school district;
Participation in the school district’s summer reading camp, which must incorporate the instructional and intervention strategies above; and
A minimum of 90 minutes of daily, uninterrupted reading instruction incorporating the instructional and intervention strategies above. This instruction may include
1. Coordinated integration of content-rich texts in science and civic literacy within the 90-minute block
2. Small group instruction
3. Reduced teacher-student ratios
4. More frequent progress monitoring
5. Tutoring or mentoring
6. Transition classes containing 3rd and 4th-grade students
7. Extended school day, week, or year Florida Statutes § 1008.25(7)

Mid-Year Promotion of Retained Grade 3 Students

Students retained in 3rd Grade have additional Mid-Year Promotion opportunities (Florida Statutes § 1008.25(7), F.S., and Rule 6A-1.094222, F.A.C.). Such mid-year promotions of retained grade 3 students should occur during the first semester of the academic year. Criteria for mid-year promotion (prior to November 1st) is as follows:

Score Level 2 or above on PM1 of the Grade 3 FAST ELA Reading and there is evidence the student is progressing sufficiently to master appropriate fourth-grade reading skills. (PM1 Level 2 or higher test window is August 12 - Sep 27, 2024- PM1 assessment must occur 30 days after SAT 10 from Summer Reading Camp, Jul 18, 2024)
Successful completion of portfolio elements that meet all of the following requirements:

Meets portfolio guidelines as listed on page 3.
Can be a continuation of the previous year’s portfolio.
Be signed by the teacher and the principal as an accurate assessment of the required reading skills.

Note: After November 1st, any student considered for mid-year promotion must demonstrate proficiency levels in reading equivalent to the beginning of grade 4 .

The Progress Monitoring Plan for any retained third-grade student who has been promoted mid-year to grade 4 must continue to be implemented for the entire academic year and, if necessary, for additional school years. Florida Statutes § 1008.25(7) and Rule 6A-1.094222, F.A.C.

Acceleration Options

Academically Challenging Curriculum to Enhance Learning (ACCEL) options are educational options that provide academically challenging curriculum or accelerated instruction, Florida Statutes § 1002.3105. ACCEL options include whole-grade and mid-year promotion; subject-matter acceleration; virtual instruction in higher grade level subjects; and the Credit Acceleration Program under Florida Statutes § 1003.4295, Additional ACCEL options include enriched science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) coursework; enrichment programs; flexible grouping; and differentiated instruction.

Each principal/school must establish student eligibility requirements for virtual instruction in higher grade level subjects. Each principal must also establish student eligibility requirements for whole grade promotion, mid-year promotion, and subject matter acceleration when the promotion or acceleration occurs within the principal’s school.

The school must carefully consider the effect of ACCEL options, especially mid-year and full-year promotions, on the student’s future social, emotional, and academic performance.

Whole Grade Promotion

Promotion of a student occurring at the end of the school year from one grade to a grade higher than normal matriculation allows. The student will be monitored for the first four (4) weeks of the change of placement to assess progress. If acceleration is not appropriate for the student as determined by the principal, the student will be returned to the former placement.

Mid-year Promotion

A student remains coded in the grade level they are currently enrolled in and is placed in the next grade level for instruction. The student will be monitored every four (4) weeks of the change of placement to assess progress. If acceleration is not appropriate for the student as determined by the school principal, the student will be returned to the former placement. If appropriately placed, the student will be formally promoted to the next grade level mid-year.

Subject Matter Acceleration

A student that is placed with students at a more advanced grade level on campus for one or more subjects for a part of a day without being assigned to a higher grade. The student will be monitored every four (4) weeks of the change of placement to assess progress. If acceleration is not appropriate for the student as determined by the school principal, the student will be returned to the former placement.

Parents should contact the school principal for information related to student eligibility requirements for participation in ACCEL options.

Section 4 - Middle Grades (6-8)

Enrollment & School Transfer

Transferring Student Placement

Students transferring into a CCDS high school will be placed into the grade level that corresponds to their cohort year as defined by the school year they started 9th grade or equivalent coursework. This placement may be made using unofficial records at the time of registration. Once official records are received, the student’s placement will be reevaluated for accuracy.

Transferring In-Progress Grades

Students transferring from one school to another who will be enrolled at the receiving school for more than 15 school days of the grading period will have their transfer grade incorporated into that grading period as determined by the receiving teacher. Any student transferring within the last 15 days of the grading period will have their grade from the sending school posted as their course grade by the receiving school for that grading period. If a student is transferring to a school in another district near the end of the school year and the school they are transferring to has already completed the school year, it will be the responsibility of the CCDS “sending school” to use good judgment for the benefit of the student involved. Usually, no more than 20 school days should apply in these instances. The student’s grades should be closed out and credit posted. Virtual students taking Florida Virtual School (FLVS) content courses receive grades of “WF” or “WP” when transferring before course completion per FLVS policy. The principal has the authority to waive class exams (this does not include End-of-Course exams) to close out a student’s grades.

Students moving into Clay County will have letter grades converted to numeric grades for averaging purposes. If a student cannot produce documentation, or if numeric grades cannot be obtained, the following conversions will be made:

Letter to Numeric Grade Conversions

A+ = 100	A = 95	S = 80
B+ = 89	B = 85	N = 75
C+ = 79	C = 75	U = 59
D+ = 69	D = 65
	F = 55

Acceptance of Transferring Credits

The Uniform Transfer of Credit Guidelines and Verification Process 6A-1.09941 will be followed to accept and award the credit and transfer of course work for students entering grades 6-8 from out of state or country to a Clay County District School as follows:

Grades earned and offered for acceptance on official transcripts will be accepted at face value.
Students enrolling without an official transcript will receive course validation through their successful performance during the first grading period.
Validation of courses will be based on performance in classes at the receiving school. A student transferring into a school will be placed at the appropriate sequential/age appropriate course level and should be passing each required course at the end of the first grading period.
- Course Validation includes any one of the following:
  - satisfactory completion of appropriate subject or grade level examinations (“D” or higher);
  - successful completion of class work (“D” or higher);
  - minimum grade equivalent score on a district approved subject area assessment;
  - Demonstrated proficiency on nationally-normed standardized subject area assessment; or
  - Demonstrated proficiency on the required state assessment.

Courses earned through an accredited Home Education option and provided on an official transcript will be accepted at face value. Any home education courses completed through a non-accredited option will be awarded credit but will be transcribed as a pass/fail grade.

Concurrent Enrollment at High School Campus

Students with exceptional ability may be enrolled in credit-earning courses at the high school with the approval of the school principals and the parent. The parent will assume the responsibility for transporting the student between schools, where appropriate. Such enrollment must be limited to courses that are congruent with the beginning or end of the school day, but not both. Student’s grades and credits will be awarded as received by the school where the student is regularly enrolled.

Class Transfers & Placement

Schedule Changes

Students may request a schedule change within the first ten days of each semester based on the following guidelines:

Student was placed in an incorrect or inappropriate academic class based on their grade level or program requirements;
Student was placed in a class that they have previously taken and passed (except M/J elective courses that can be repeated with teacher permission); or
Student wants to change an elective class and there is room in the desired class without going over class size guidelines.

Changing a student’s schedule after the first ten days of school may only be done for leveling purposes. An example of this is if a student is enrolled in Algebra 1 Honors and wants to level down to Algebra 1. See the next section, Leveling Out or Transferring from Honors or Advanced Courses, for details on leveling out of classes.

In the case where a student has been improperly placed in a class, and this has been verified by the teacher, then movement to another more appropriate subject area class is in order with the approval of the principal. This should occur before the end of the first grading period, so the student may be placed in an appropriate course. Current grades should be transferred to average with grades earned in the new course, but the teachers have the flexibility to adjust the transfer grade based on demonstrated mastery of standards in the new course.

Students taking courses through Clay Virtual Academy (CVA) or Florida Virtual School (FLVS) should review the “Student Contact and Drop” policy.

Leveling Out from Honors or Advanced Courses

If a student is enrolled in an advanced academic full-year course, the student (at parent request) may drop the course if the following conditions exist:

Grade of D or F,
Completion of a parent conference,
Demonstration of the student seeking consistent academic assistance, and
Space available in a comparable course.

When a student drops an advanced course before final semester or year credits are posted, the grade earned to that point in the school year follows the student to the next course, but the teachers have the flexibility to adjust the transfer grade based on demonstrated mastery of standards in the new course.

Students enrolled in a junior high acceleration program will need to contact their assigned school counselor or administrator for information about program-specific guidelines.

Requesting a Class or Teacher Change

A parent may request a transfer of their child(ren) to another classroom teacher within the same grade or course at any time during the year. The parent may not, however, choose a specific classroom teacher. At the time of the request, the school must approve or deny the request within two weeks. If the request is denied, the school will notify the parent and specify the reasons for the denial. Florida Statutes § 1003.3101

Procedures Concerning Request for Transferring of Students to a New Class or Teacher:

Parent makes a written request to the school principal to transfer their child(ren) to another teacher (must be in the same grade level and/or course); Before principal consideration, a parent-teacher conference must take place;

The principal considers the request and notifies the parent within two weeks. The principal must consider:
- Class size
- Grade and course
- Any variable that would impact the student or class that is being considered (ex., discipline issues, teacher input)
If approved, parent and teacher are notified;
If not approved, the parent is notified with an explanation given.

Curriculum, Assessment, & Instruction

Middle Grades School Course Sequencing

Students must enroll in a full year of mathematics, English Language Arts, science, social studies, and at least one semester of physical education (Florida Statute § 1003.455) courses in grades 7 and 8. (Please see the section entitled Physical Education to obtain more information on the P.E. waiver.) The core courses mentioned above are offered at various levels with the school making recommendations on the student's placement. Unless students receive the P.E. waiver, they will have P.E. and an elective during the school day. Students may choose from a Career and Technical Education course and/or a visual and performing arts course for their elective.

Students in 7th and 8th grade may enroll in high school credit-earning courses approved by the District. This enables the student to earn high school credits as well as meet the junior high school promotional requirements. Clay Virtual Academy offers accelerated courses for qualified students that may allow junior high students to accelerate into high school math, science, computers, and business skills and/or world language credits. Students and parents should check with their assigned school about other credit-earning courses.

Progressing through the middle grades to meet promotion requirements can take many forms depending on the specific programs and courses available at the student’s school of enrollment. To assist students in developing an academic plan or those transferring into the district, here is an example of a basic middle grades progression. See the Promotion Requirements section for specifics about what is required to be promoted to high school.

	6th Grade	7th Grade	8th Grade
English Language Arts (3 credits)	M/J Lang. Arts 1 (1 cr)	M/J Lang. Arts 2 (1 cr)	M/J Lang. Arts 3 (1 cr)
Mathematics (3 credits)	M/J Math 1 (1 cr)	M/J Math 2 (1 cr)	M/J Math 3 (1 cr)
Science (3 credits)	M/J Science 1 (1 cr)	M/J Science 2 (1 cr)	M/J Science 3 (1 cr)
Social Studies (3 credits)	M/J World Hist. (1 cr)	M/J US Hist. (1 cr)	M/J Civics (1 cr)
Physical Education (required each year)	Phys Ed (½ year)	Phys Ed (½ year)	Phys Ed (½ year)
Electives	Elective (½ year) Elective (½ year) Elective (½ year)	Elective (½ year) Elective (½ year) Elective (½ year)	Elective (½ year) Elective (½ year) Elective (½ year)

State Assessment

Students are evaluated with a coordinated screening and progress monitoring system provided by the Florida Department of Education. The FAST progress monitoring and coordinated screening program includes grades 6-8 English Language Arts (ELA) Reading and grades 6-8 Mathematics assessments that are aligned to the B.E.S.T. standards and are administered three times per year pursuant to Florida Statutes § 1008.25(8)(b).

All students, unless specifically exempted, must take all statewide and local achievement tests at their appropriate grade level.

FLDOE Family Portal Access One Pager (Web Browser)

FLDOE Family Portal Access One Pager (Mobile App)

End of Course Assessments

Some courses require End-of-Course (EOC) exams as determined by state legislation. The Algebra 1 EOC is 30% of the student’s overall grade and MUST PASS to meet the diploma requirements. Students who score a Level 1 or 2 on the Algebra 1 EOC, may be enrolled in and complete an intensive remedial course the following year or be placed in a content area course that includes remediation of skills not acquired by the student. EOCs are also required in junior high Civics, high school Geometry, high school Biology 1. EOC scores count as 30% of the final grade. The District and school distribute information about EOC requirements, testing information, and resources each year. Students in junior high taking a course requiring an EOC will not participate in the statewide standardized assessment for that subject.

Students may take an EOC during the regular administration of the test in order to receive credit for the course once the state establishes the passing score(s). This can occur even without being enrolled in or completing the entire course (see information above on CAP). Students in grades K - 12 are eligible under the CAP. Home education students will not take the EOC unless the student’s parent chooses to use the EOC for the annual evaluation required by the school district as specified in Florida Statute § 1002.41. Homeschool parents should consult with Clay Virtual Academy about EOCs. Students enrolled in Florida Virtual School and Clay Virtual Academy must take all required EOCs.

Florida private school students do not participate in the statewide assessments because these assessments exist to meet federal and state assessment accountability requirements for Florida public schools. Private school students who transfer into a Florida public school, however, must achieve a passing score on the Algebra 1 EOC at some point. Students will have several opportunities to take these assessments. The School District will distribute information about the EOCs and graduation requirements to the private schools on a yearly basis. Public school students attending private schools through the use of a Florida Department of Education K - 12 Scholarship Program, such as Family Empowerment or Hope Scholarship may take the EOC assessments.

Performance Standards

Clay County will use the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) prepared student performance as the approved curriculum for Secondary Education, including updates and changes as received from FLDOE. No courses will be offered which are not state-approved unless a special course is piloted under state guidelines and with School Board approval.

Physical Education (6th - 8th)

The 2008 Legislature passed Senate Bill 610 requiring each district to include the availability of one-on-one counseling to students regarding the benefits of physical education. Beginning in 2009 - 10, the equivalent of one class period per day of physical education for one semester (minimum standard) of each year for students enrolled in grades 6 - 8 will occur (Florida Statute § 1003.455). The physical education requirement will be waived (grades 6 - 8) for a student who meets one of the following criteria (unless the child meets one of the waiver criteria listed below, he/she will be enrolled in physical education while in grades 6 - 8):

The student is enrolled or required to enroll in a remedial course
The student’s parent indicates in writing to the school one of the following:
- The parent requests that the student enroll in another course from among those designated by the school district, or
- The student is participating in physical activities outside the school day that are equal to or in excess of the mandated requirement.

State Required Instruction

Pursuant to Florida Statute § 1003.42, students receive required instruction on topics that include but are not limited to the following:

The History of the United States, Civil Government, the History of the Holocaust, the History of African Americans, and the contributions of Hispanics and Women to the United States
Character education on self-control, resilience, leadership skills, kindness, empathy, cooperation, and conflict resolution
Comprehensive Health education per Florida Statutes § 1003.42 (2)(n), will cover various topics that include healthy relationships, teen dating violence (grades 7 - 12), personal health, internet safety, disease control, community health, consumer health, environmental health, family life, injury prevention and safety, nutrition, and personal health. The instruction in acquired immune deficiency syndrome, per Florida Statute § 1003.46, will be grade and age-appropriate for the student and will reflect current theory, knowledge, and practice regarding acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and its prevention. Section (3) of this statute allows any student whose parent makes a written request to the school principal to be exempted from the teaching of reproductive health or any disease, including HIV/AIDS, its symptoms, development, and treatment.

Comprehensive health education requires a minimum of five hours of instruction related to mental and emotional health for students in grades 6 - 12, per Florida Statute § 1003.42(2)(n). Additionally, school districts are required to annually provide instruction to students in grades K - 12 related to child trafficking prevention and awareness of youth substance use and abuse health education. The content will be grade and age-appropriate. The school districts are required, under the rulings, to document the planning and delivery of all instruction.

The superintendent, or designee, will review curriculum frameworks that are prepared and distributed by the Florida Department of Education and related to Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) education. If the curriculum frameworks are inconsistent with the locally determined curriculum for AIDS education or are not reflective of local values and concerns, the superintendent will advise the School Board and provide recommendations for instructional activities.

Reporting Student Progress & Grading

Report Cards - Florida Statute § 1003.33

Student report cards will be available in ParentVUE at the end of each quarter.

Report cards will contain:

The student’s academic performance in each class or course grades K - 6 based upon examinations as well as written papers, class participation, and other academic performance criteria (performance will be considered at grade level unless otherwise stated).
The student’s instructional level in each class or course grades K-6.
The student’s conduct and behavior in each class or course grades K-6.
The student’s attendance, including absences and tardies.

Reporting Student Progress

Parents/guardians of public school students will be apprised at regular intervals of the academic progress of their child, in accordance with the provisions of Florida Statutes § 1003.02(1)(h)2. Synergy ParentVUE and StudentVUE programs allow parents/guardians and students access to monitor up-to-date grades, attendance, schedule, and assignments at any time. Therefore, printed Interim Reports will no longer be sent home with students. Families are encouraged to use the Interim Report dates on the Student Calendar to review and discuss grades and concerns with their student(s). If families cannot view their student’s progress electronically on a mobile device or computer, a printed copy may be requested from the teacher.

Calculating Grades

The District will maintain a one-half credit earned system including full-year courses with credits posted after each semester. For year-long courses, if a student fails one semester, but passes the other semester with a high enough grade to achieve a passing average for the year, the student will receive a full credit (1) for the course. For courses that require a state End-of-Course (EOC) assessment which is 30% of the final grade, the District will determine the calculations and disseminate them to the schools, and the final credit will be posted at the end of the school year.

Semester grades will be calculated by averaging the two quarterly grades together to determine the final semester grade. Quarters 1 and 2 will average for Semester 1 final grade and Quarters 3 and 4 will average for Semester 2 final grade. Courses that have a state End-of-Course (EOC) exam will be calculated by multiplying each quarter’s numerical grade by .175 (17.5%), multiplying the EOC grade by .30 (30%), and adding the products together. For all courses, a final average of 60 and above earns credit (0.5 credit for semester courses and 1.0 credit for EOC courses).

Grade Point Average (GPA) is calculated by adding up the quality points earned for each final semester or year long grade and then dividing by the number of credits attempted. Quality points for unweighted GPA are assigned for each full-credit course on a scale of A = 4, B = 3, C = 2, D = 1, F = 0. Quality points are assigned for one-half credit courses on a scale of A = 2, B = 1.5, C = 1, D = 0.5, F = 0. Grade Point Average is not used to determine promotion for junior high students; however, athletic eligibility is determined using a junior high student’s GPA and any high school credit course taken in junior high will be included in a student’s unweighted and weighted GPA in high school.

Interscholastic Participation

To be eligible for interscholastic competition, a student must meet the following criteria:

Have a cumulative 2.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale. Students who fall below the 2.0 requirement will remain ineligible for the next entire semester;
The student must be in good standing with the school based on school and District policies.
The student’s eligibility is also contingent upon meeting the policies established in the district’s Code of Student Conduct.
See School Board Policy 4.43 for complete eligibility information

Summer school subjects will be included in the calculation of the student’s GPA of the previous semester for participation in extracurricular activities during the first semester of each school year. Seventh (7th) grade students will be eligible to participate during the first semester provided they were regularly promoted from the sixth (6th) grade.

Florida High School Athletic Association Academic Requirements

9.4.1 - 2.0 GPA Required for Academic Eligibility - A junior high student must have a 2.0 GPA, or the equivalent of a 2.0 GPA based on a 4.0 scale, at the conclusion of each semester.
9.4.1.2 Academic Eligibility/Ineligibility is for a Semester - A student who is academically eligible at the beginning of a semester will continue to be academically eligible for that entire semester. Likewise, a student who is academically ineligible at the beginning of a semester will continue to be academically ineligible for that entire semester, except as provided in Bylaw 9.4.5.1.2. The student’s academic eligibility for each successive semester will depend upon his/her cumulative GPA at the conclusion of the previous semester.

A first-year 7th-grade student attending a junior high school is academically eligible during his/her first semester of junior high school provided they were regularly promoted from the 6th grade. The student, however, must meet the provisions of Bylaw 9.4.1 at the conclusion of his/her first semester of attendance to be academically eligible to participate during his/her next semester of attendance.

Intervention & Remediation

Reading Remediation

The Intensive Reading course is designed for 6 - 8 grade students reading below grade level. The course includes foundational skill benchmarks to be used until a student has mastered said benchmarks. The Intensive Reading course has been designed for the teacher to select and teach only the appropriate benchmarks corresponding to the student's grade and instructional level. Interventions must be evidence-based and correspond to the district K - 12 Evidence-based Comprehensive Reading Plan. Effective implementation requires the support to be matched to student needs and must be provided by a reading-endorsed/certified teacher.

All 6th through 8th-grade students scoring a Level 1 or Level 2 on the F.A.S.T. for English Language Arts (ELA) will undergo a review of prior historical academic performance and assessment data, as well as current stakeholder input. If the initial cumulative records review determines placement in intensive reading, the student scoring a Level 1 or Level 2 will be given a diagnostic screener to determine the specific skill gap(s).

Instruction will be individualized to the skills that pose the greatest barrier to the student’s learning in order to close gaps using a curriculum that is evidence-based, explicit, and systematic. The instructional time will be in addition to core instruction as this course should not be used in place of grade-level English Language Arts (ELA) courses and is intended to provide intervention for students who have reading deficiencies. Formative assessments will occur more frequently and focus on the learning barriers to success based on the intensity of needs. The larger the gap, the more frequent the progress monitoring.

The course includes the B.E.S.T. Standards for Applying Foundational Reading Skills for Students in grades 6 - 8 needing Reading Interventions. Interventions will be implemented until a student has mastered the Foundational Skills Standard. The expected outcome is for the student to achieve grade-level proficiency as determined by an achievement score of 3 or higher on the F.A.S.T. for ELA.

Math Remediation

Students in grades 7 and 8 who score an achievement Level 1 on the state assessment will be placed in standard math classes and will not qualify for advanced math programs. Eighth-grade students scoring an achievement Level 1 on the eighth-grade math assessment will be given priority for Algebra 1A upon entering high school. Secondary schools will also utilize the Edgenuity online program to remediate course work, as a virtual tutor, and for credit recovery. Additional remedial options are available in all Clay County secondary schools through the School Counseling Department.

Grade Recovery and Credit Recovery Options

Assignment Recovery

Teachers may allow students who have been unsuccessful in mastering particular content or skills the opportunity to recover an assignment, assessment, and/or task, or if the work was not turned in on time due to a student's absence or failure to turn in the work. This work should be completed within two weeks of the last day of the current grading period and may not extend past the last day of school.

Grade Recovery

Grade recovery opportunities exist in order to help maintain students’ progress towards graduation and occur following the student failing a nine week marking period. This work needs to be completed before the following marking period ends, e.g. a student failing a class for Quarter 1 needs to have completed the recovery coursework prior to the start of Quarter 3. Grade recovery is determined by each teacher and can be work assigned through Edgenuity or teacher-created material.

Credit Recovery

Secondary schools will be utilizing Edgenuity for credit recovery. Credit recovery opportunities exist in order to help maintain students’ progress toward promotion and/or graduation. Credit recovery can only be utilized if a student earned a D or F for the semester or full-year credit and must be approved by the student’s assigned school counselor to ensure that it is needed to meet graduation requirements.

Summer School for Credit Recovery

Summer school is an extension of the school year for students who attended Clay County District Schools. Students who did not attend Clay County District Schools are not eligible for the summer program unless they enrolled before the beginning of the 4th nine-week period or were approved for the HOPE Scholarship Program (see the Student Code of Conduct for more information about this program).

Students in grades 6th - 8th can retake academic courses for credit recovery during CCDS Summer school. Students may only take up to one full credit (or two ½ credit segments) through the CCDS Summer school program. All CCDS summer school coursework must be completed fully by the published deadline in order for students to receive credit.

Students may also work on approved coursework during the summer through Clay Virtual Academy. Students and parents should speak with their school counselor to determine if this is an appropriate option. Any supplemental summer coursework that may impact a student’s course placement for the following school year must be completed before the start of the new school year.

Summer programs by other districts that assign credit may be reviewed by Clay County staff to determine the appropriateness of assigning local credit. Prior approval should be received before attempting summer courses at other schools/district.

Promotion

Conditional Promotion

A 6th or 7th grader who has failed up to four required academic, ½ credit course segments or ESE students with IEP recommendations may be granted conditional promotion; however, they must successfully pass two, ½ credit course segments during the CCDS Summer School program immediately following the school year. The other failed course segments must be completed either through an additional summer virtual program, during the next school year in a recovery lab class if available at your school, or during a subsequent summer school session. Placement in a recovery lab class will replace one of the student’s elective classes during the following school year.

An 8th grader failing multiple required academic course segments must successfully pass two ½ credit course segments during the CCDS Summer School program. Additional required course segments must be completed utilizing an additional summer virtual program. All credit recovery successfully completed before enrolling in the 9th grade. Conditional promotion to 9th grade may be approved at the district level and will take into consideration the following factors in addition to the completion of the failed courses:

Whether or not the student has been previously retained;
The student is older than the average age of the other students;
It will be in the best interest of the student to receive a “Conditional Promotion”;
There is evidence that the student has the ability to be successful at the next grade level.

If it is the determination of the principal not to approve a “Conditional Promotion” for a student, the student will be recommended for retention. Students failing more than four required academic, ½ credit course segments are automatically retained and will be required to repeat all coursework for that grade level.

Promotion to High School Requirements

In order to be promoted to the next higher grade within the middle grades, a student must successfully complete English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. Existing state student performance standards will be the basis for each course. Appropriate procedures will be followed by the classroom teacher to continuously and carefully observe student performance throughout the school year to determine if expected achievement levels and/or course performance standards are being met. Under no circumstances should student performance be judged solely on the basis of a single test.

The areas of reading, writing, mathematics, social studies, and science must be assessed using District performance measures, testing, teacher observation, classroom assignments, and state assessment measures. Remediation measures must be taken and documented in the student’s Progress Monitoring Plan (PMP). No student may be assigned to a grade level based solely on age or other factors that constitute social promotion.

In order to be promoted to grade 9, middle grades students MUST successfully complete the following during their 6th, 7th, and 8th grade years. Florida Statutes § 1003.41

3 courses in English Language Arts
3 courses in mathematics (Successful completion of a high school level Algebra 1 or Geometry course may fulfill this requirement. However, to earn credit, the junior high student must take the EOC, which constitutes 30% of the final course grade.)
3 courses in social studies (One of which must be Civics, which includes a statewide, standardized EOC that constitutes 30% of the student’s final grade. State-required career and education planning standards are integrated into the Civics course. A middle grades/junior high student who transfers into the state’s public school system from out of the country, out of state, a private school, or a home education program after the beginning of the second term/semester of grade “8” is not required to meet the civics education requirement for promotion IF the student’s transcript documents passage of three courses in social studies or two-year-long courses in social studies that include coverage of civics education. Successful completion of a high school social studies course may fulfill this requirement.)
3 courses in science (Successful completion of a high school level science course may fulfill this requirement. However, if the course has a state EOC, the student must take the state EOC to earn the course credit, which constitutes 30% of the student’s final course grade.)

Florida Statute § 1003.455 requires one semester of physical education each year for students enrolled in grades 6 - 8.

Section 5 - High School Grades (9-12)

Enrollment and School Transfer

Transferring Student Placement

Students who transfer to a Clay County District School without transcripts will be placed age appropriately based on the student’s age as of September 1 of the school year in which enrollment occurs for grades 9 and 10. The student will be placed in courses appropriate for that grade level and prior coursework will be validated using the validation guidelines set forth in the Uniform Transfer of Credit Guidelines 6A-1.09941. Students (age 17 or older) who transfer without transcripts and whose age appropriate placement places them in grades 11 or 12 will have an enrollment meeting with a designated school staff member (administrator or school counselor) to determine best placement options based on students educational needs and goals. Any student transferring from another country who has completed the equivalent of a high school/secondary diploma from their country of origin is not eligible to enroll in a CCDS high school but can explore learning opportunities through the Adult and Community Education office.

Transferring Student and Graduation

Students who enter a Clay County school at the 11th or 12th-grade level from out-of-state or out-of-country will not be required to spend additional time in the high school in order to meet the high school course/credits requirements if the student has met all course/credit requirements of the school district, state, or country from which he or she is transferring. In addition to credit requirements to receive a standard high school diploma, a transfer student must earn a 2.0 GPA, pass the Algebra 1 EOC OR have passed an equivalent Algebra 1 EOC from the transferring state or county, pass the 10th Grade ELA state assessment OR receive the concordant scores on the SAT or ACT identified by the Florida Department of Education. Florida Statute § 1003.433

Transferring In-Progress Grades

Letter to Numeric Grade Conversions

A+ = 100	A = 95	S = 80
B+ = 89	B = 85	N = 75
C+ = 79	C = 75	U = 59
D+ = 69	D = 65
	F = 55

Acceptance of Transferring Credits

The Uniform Transfer of Credit Guidelines and Verification Process 6A-1.09941 will be followed to accept and award the credit and transfer of course work for students entering grades 9-12 from out of state or country to a Clay County District School as follows:

Grades earned and offered for acceptance on official transcripts will be accepted at face value.
Students enrolling without an official transcript will receive course validation through their successful performance during the first grading period.
Validation of courses will be based on performance in classes at the receiving school. A student transferring into a school will be placed at the appropriate sequential/age appropriate course level and should be passing each required course at the end of the first grading period.
- Course Validation includes any one of the following:
  - satisfactory completion of appropriate subject or grade level examinations (“D” or higher);
  - successful completion of class work (“D” or higher);
  - minimum grade equivalent score on a district approved subject area assessment;
  - Demonstrated proficiency on nationally-normed standardized subject area assessment; or
  - Demonstrated proficiency on the required state assessment.
Courses earned through an accredited Home Education option and provided on an official transcript will be accepted at face value. Any home education courses completed through a non-accredited option will be awarded credit but will be transcribed as a pass/fail grade, which will not impact the student’s high school GPA.

EOC Assessments for Transfer Students

Concerning students who transfer into Clay County from out of the country, out-of-state, a private school, or a home school, with a transcript that shows credit received in Algebra 1 or an EOC required course under the Scholar diploma status:

The transfer student is required to take:

The Algebra 1 EOC assessment, if the student is entering grade 9 and the transcript, does not indicate a passing/proficient score on a statewide, standardized EOC assessment in Algebra 1 or on the high school statewide assessment in mathematics required by the state from which the student transferred for purposes of satisfying the requirements of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. After taking the Algebra 1 EOC at least one time, the student can satisfy the Algebra 1 EOC graduation requirement by achieving a comparable concordant score (see Florida Graduation Assessment Requirements).
The Biology 1, Geometry, and U.S. History EOCs – for Scholar diploma students only – if the student entered grade 9 in 2013-14 or thereafter and the transcript does not indicate a passing/proficient score on a statewide, standardized EOC assessment in that course.

Foreign Exchange Student Guidelines

Only those organizations operating international exchange programs at the high school level that are members in good standing of the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel (CSIET) will be allowed to place students in Clay County District Schools. At no time will the number of exchange students allowed in a high school exceed one-fourth (1/4) of one percent of the total school population or more than five (5) from one organization. This provision may be waived with the approval of the Superintendent of Clay County District Schools or their designee upon the written request of the school principal. It is up to the school principal to determine the number of students allowed from each sponsoring organization, but unless requested, current federal regulations limit the number per organization to five (5). All organizations or host families must have foreign exchange students registered with their respective schools no later than five (5) calendar weeks prior to the start of school for students each year.

Under the standards prescribed by the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel (CSIET), the following policies must be met by the host family and the exchange program before enrolling:

Written acceptance by the school principal or their designee before a host family being designated;
Specific information must be provided to the school. This includes academic records translated into English, the number of years completed before arrival, and the years required in the home country to complete secondary school;
The level of the student’s English language proficiency, based on test scores from the English Language Test for International Students (ELTiS), must be provided to the district/school. If the student does not meet the minimum score requirement (218), the student will not be placed in a Clay County school. It is the goal of the District to make sure foreign exchange students have sufficient command of the English language to enable the student to function well in an English-speaking academic and community environment; appropriate background information, and expectations regarding school experience;
The student must not have completed more than 11 years of primary and secondary education exclusive of kindergarten;
Foreign exchange students who have received a high school diploma, or its equivalent, in their home country are not eligible to be foreign exchange students in the District.
Exchange students will be registered as 11th graders and will be required to take U.S. History, English III (American Literature), U.S. Government, Economics, and a minimum of three (3) electives. The only exception to the required courses will be if the home country requires a specific curriculum for a student in a specific grade and the local school can reasonably meet the student’s course needs. Written documentation of this requirement must be included as part of the student’s records.
Foreign exchange students are subject to all school and district rules and regulations per the Clay County Code of Conduct.
Foreign exchange students at no time will receive a Clay County diploma of any type nor participate in graduation ceremonies. They will be awarded a special certificate certifying that they successfully completed the course of study for exchange students as prescribed by the Clay County District Schools. These students will not take the state assessments or other assessments that may be prescribed by the Florida Department of Education since they will not be awarded a standard diploma.
Exchange students will be limited to a one-year program or, if the principal approves, a semester.
Exchange students entering Clay County high schools through immigration status require a J-1 Visa. To get a J-1 Visa the student must be in an accepted foreign exchange program.
A foreign exchange student may only register at the appropriate high school that will be designated as the school within the regular school attendance zone of the host family’s residence.
A foreign exchange student may be eligible to participate in sports and activities provided they meet Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) rules and policies.
Foreign exchange students must provide all required registration documents including the following:
- Proof of birth
- FL680 or FL681 Immunization forms
- School Entry Health Exam
- Proof of residency documents

Military Student Placement

CCDS participates in the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children, the purpose of which is to remove barriers to educational success imposed on children of military families because of frequent moves and deployment of their parents. The district will implement the requirements listed in Florida Statute § 1000.36,

In order to facilitate on-time graduation for transferring military children enrolled at any time in high school, as specified in Florida Statute § 1000.36, Article VII, the following provisions apply:

A school district must waive specific courses required for graduation if similar coursework has been satisfactorily completed in another school district or will provide reasonable justification for denial. If a waiver is not granted to a student who would qualify to graduate from a school of the sending state, the school of the receiving state must provide an alternative means of acquiring the required coursework so that graduation may occur on time.
States must accept exit or End-of-Course (EOC) exams required for graduation from a school in the sending state.
If a transitioning student who transfers in his or her senior year is ineligible to graduate from a school in the receiving state after all alternatives have been considered, both the sending and receiving state schools must ensure the receipt of the diploma from the sending state school if the student meets the graduation requirements of the sending state school. The student may participate in all local graduation activities.

Dependent children of active duty military personnel who otherwise meet the eligibility criteria for special academic programs offered through public schools will be given first preference for admission to such programs, even if the program is being offered through a public school other than the school to which the student would generally be assigned. If such a program is offered through a public school other than the school to which the student would generally be assigned, the parent of the student must assume responsibility for transporting the student to that school. For purposes of this subsection, special academic programs include advanced studies programs, dual enrollment, Advanced Placement (AP), Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE), and International Baccalaureate (IB).

HOPE Scholarship Program students follow these same policies (see the “Student Code of Conduct for more information about this program).

Termination of School Placement at Age 16

A student who attains the age of 16 years during the school year is not subject to compulsory school attendance beyond the date upon which he or she attains that age if the student files a formal declaration of intent to terminate school enrollment with the District. The declaration must acknowledge that terminating school enrollment is likely to reduce the student’s earning potential and must be signed by the student and the student’s parent(s).

The following steps must also be taken:

The school will notify the student’s parent of receipt of the student’s declaration of intent to terminate school enrollment.
The student’s school counselor or other school personnel will conduct an exit interview with the student to determine the reasons for the student’s decision to terminate school enrollment and actions that could be taken to keep the student in school.
The student will be informed of opportunities to continue his or her education in a different environment, including, but not limited to, adult education and GED test preparation.
The student will complete a survey to provide data on student reasons for terminating enrollment and actions taken by schools to keep students enrolled.

Class Transfers & Placement

Schedule Changes

Students may request a schedule change within the first ten days of each semester based on the following guidelines:

Student was placed in an incorrect or inappropriate academic class based on their grade level or program requirements;
Student was placed in a class that they have previously taken and passed (except M/J elective courses that can be repeated with teacher permission); or
Student wants to change an elective class and there is room in the desired class without going over class size guidelines.

Students taking courses through Clay Virtual Academy (CVA) or Florida Virtual School (FLVS) should review the “Student Contact and Drop” policy.

Leveling Out or Transferring from Honors or Advanced Courses

If a student is enrolled in a high school honors or AP full-year course, the student may only drop the course within the first ten class meetings, or he/she may NOT drop the course until the end of the semester and only if the following conditions exist:

Grade of D or F,
Completion of a parent conference during each grading period,
Demonstration of the student seeking consistent academic assistance, and
Space available in a comparable course.

If a student is enrolled in a high school honors or AP half-year course, the student may only drop the course after the end of the first nine weeks grading period and only if the following conditions exist:

Grade of D or F,
Completion of a parent conference during each grading period,
Demonstration of the student seeking consistent academic assistance, and
Space available in a comparable course.

Withdrawing from a high school honors or AP course is denoted with the WP or WF designation but cannot be done until after the midpoint of the course. In the case of extenuating circumstances, a petition may be made on a case-by-case basis to the principal or designee for a review of criteria to ensure proper course placement.

If a student is moved to a new class before the final semester or year credits are posted, the grade earned in the original class follows the student to the next course, but teachers have the flexibility to adjust the transfer grade based on demonstrated mastery of standards in the new course. Note: withdrawing from dual enrollment courses is governed by the college deadlines, not school policy.

Change of Class or Teacher

Procedures Concerning Request for Transferring of Students to a New Class or Teacher:

The principal considers the request and notifies the parent within two weeks. The principal must consider:
- Class size
- Grade and course
- Any variable that would impact the student or class that is being considered (ex., discipline issues, teacher input)
If approved, parent and teacher are notified;
If not approved, the parent is notified with an explanation given.

Curriculum, Assessment, & Instruction

Acceleration Programs

Articulated acceleration will serve either to shorten the length of time necessary for a student to complete the requirements associated with a postsecondary degree or to increase the depth of study available for a particular subject. This will include, but will not be limited to the following:

Dual Enrollment (DE) courses
Advanced Placement (AP) courses
International Baccalaureate (IB) courses
Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE)
Virtual Education Options, including Clay Virtual Academy (CVA) and Florida Virtual School (FLVS)
Industry Certifications that articulate to postsecondary credit as identified by the Florida Department of Education, Gold Articulation Agreements.

Schools will notify parents of students currently in/or entering high school of the opportunity and benefits of accelerated coursework.

It is the policy of Clay County District Schools to purchase tests for students who meet the following criteria involving AP, IB, and AICE tests.

A student must be enrolled in the course in order to be eligible to take the exam, except in the case of the Credit Acceleration Program (CAP) for AP tests;
CAP students and home-schooled students who are not enrolled through Clay Virtual Academy but wish to take an exam may do so at a non-refundable fee (the cost of the test at that time). Students who withdraw from or drop an AP course after the designated deadline established by CollegeBoard (typically Nov. 15th) will be responsible for the exam cancellation fee payable to their school of enrollment. Fee amounts are determined by CollegeBoard each school year.
It is the responsibility of the student enrolled in an AP course to correctly and completely electronically register for all AP exams prior to the deadline established by CollegeBoard (typically Nov. 15th). Any student who fails to electronically register for the correct AP exams through their CollegeBoard account is responsible for paying any late registration or change fees charged by CollegeBoard. Fee amounts are determined by CollegeBoard each school year and must be paid to the student’s school of enrollment.

Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE)

AICE is a program that is a rigorous pre-university course of study, leading to internationally standardized examinations under the Cambridge International Examination program. AICE diploma candidates must demonstrate their knowledge of the coursework by passing a battery of comprehensive written, and in the case of world language, oral examinations. AICE students are required to select seven tests, one test from each of four major subject groups: Math and Science, Languages, Arts and Humanities, Global Perspectives, and the remaining three examinations from any of the subject areas the student chooses with a maximum of two credits coming from the optional category

The AICE program is offered at all CCDS high schools. The AICE program is considered an Academy and students must be either zoned for those schools in order to participate or be among the 10% of the total candidates selected that are zoned at other schools. For more information, parents and students should contact those schools directly.

For an AICE diploma, a candidate must earn the equivalent of seven credits by passing a combination of exams at either the full (one-credit) Advanced Subsidiary Level (AS) or double (two credits) International Advanced Level (A), with at least one course coming from Global Perspectives and one course from each of the other three curriculum areas. Students in schools enrolled in the AICE courses do not have to pay to take the exams.

Advanced Placement (AP)

Advanced Placement, or AP, are college-level courses offered for the highly motivated, self-disciplined student. The courses are designed by the College Board and are the equivalent of college-level work. In May, the student takes an exam for each AP course taken. AP CapstoneTM Diplomas are awarded to students who pass both AP Seminar and AP Research with a score of 3 or higher and pass four additional AP Exams of the student’s choice with a 3 or higher. If the student scores a 3, 4, or 5 on the AP exam, they may receive college credit for the course. AP courses are open to all students who have completed the required prerequisites for the course they wish to take. Each Clay County District High School may offer different AP courses. Check with your zoned high school for details.

Dual Enrollment

Students who qualify for Dual Enrollment may take certain college classes from specified institutions within the Florida Postsecondary Articulation Agreement and receive high school and college credit. These classes have no tuition fees and books are provided free of charge. This includes home school students who enroll through Clay Virtual Academy. Please contact your high school counseling office for eligibility requirements and specific information. These courses may be taken either on or off the high school campus for credit. Courses taken on the college campus may be taken during the day or evening. Students may be released for the courses from the high school campus since these courses would be considered part of their daily schedule. Dual Enrollment courses will not be combined with any other course. Students enrolled in any Dual Enrollment course are subject to the college’s FERPA requirements which limit the parent’s access to student’s course information and progress. Contact your high school counselor or designated dual enrollment coordinator for more information.

Early Admissions

Early admission is a form of dual enrollment permitting high school students to enroll in college or career courses on a full-time basis. As with all dual enrollment programs, students earn both high school and college/career credits for courses completed. Career early admissions is a form of career dual enrollment through which eligible secondary students enroll full-time in a career center or a Florida College System institution in postsecondary programs leading to industry certifications, as listed in the CAPE Postsecondary Industry Certification Funding List pursuant to s. 1008.44, F.S.. These students are entitled under the rule and law to all rights and privileges allowed for all seniors including, but not limited to, participation in class activities (i.e. Grad Bash, Prom, etc.), rank in class, and eligibility for class Valedictorian or Salutatorian.

Early College Program

This program allows admitted students to complete 60 credits of dual enrollment coursework, culminating in earning both a standard high school diploma as well as an Associate of Arts (AA) Degree upon the completion of four years of high school. This program is available at Middleburg High School and Orange Park High School.

Components of the Early College Programs:

Students can earn an A.A. degree while still enrolled in high school.
Students in grades 9 -11 in Clay county will take a defined list of college courses at the high school site in combination with high school classes, and online.
12th grade students will enroll full time on SJR State’s campus.

International Baccalaureate (IB)

The IB program, offered at Ridgeview High School, is a rigorous pre-university course of study leading to internationally standardized tests. The program’s comprehensive two-year curriculum allows its graduates to fulfill the requirements of many different nations’ educational systems. Students completing IB courses and exams from six areas: 1) Language A1; 2) Language A2; 3) Individual and Societies; 4) Experimental Sciences; 5) Mathematics; and 6) Arts and Electives. IB diploma candidates must demonstrate their mastery of coursework by passing a battery of comprehensive written and in some cases oral, examinations in the six subject groups. In addition, IB candidates are required to take the course, “Theory of Knowledge,” complete a series of Community, Action, and Service (CAS) experiences, and write an extended essay. Students enrolled in IB courses do not have to pay to take the exams.

Credit Acceleration Program (CAP)

The Credit Acceleration Program (CAP), Florida Statutes § 1003.4295, authorizes secondary students to earn high school credit in a course that requires an End-of-Course (EOC) exam, an Advanced Placement (AP) Examination, or a College Level Examination Program (CLEP) without having to actually be enrolled in the course(s). A student may earn high school credit in Algebra 1, Geometry, U.S. History, or Biology 1 if the student passes the statewide, standardized EOC without the requirement of enrolling in or completing the course. Students are eligible to take the EOC each time that it is offered by the state.

The requirements and eligibility process to participate in the CAP program are:

The EOC will be administered only at the times established by the state assessment calendar;
The score necessary to earn the credit will be determined by the state;
Only credit (no grade) will be earned by meeting the passing score on the EOC;
The parent/student must notify the school counselor or principal in writing in a timely manner regarding their desire to participate in the CAP process;
The parent/student is responsible for any cost associated with taking an AP exam where the student is not enrolled in that course at their school of enrollment. See the Articulated Acceleration section for details.
The parent/student is responsible for any cost associated with taking a CLEP exam and must provide an official score report to be granted high school credit.
Students/parents must supply evidence that they are prepared to sit for the assessment or that there is reasonable justification for the request. This evidence includes, but is not limited to, previous state assessment scores, assessments, and grades earned in recent EOC-associated courses;
Obtain the principal's approval to take the EOC/AP/CLEP test;
If a student takes the EOC and does not earn credit, the student will not be eligible to apply for further CAP testing for the same course until additional preparation has been documented and approved by the school officials.

Career & Technical Education

Students may substitute up to two credits in each non-elective core subject areas of performing arts, mathematics, and science as provided in the Course Code Directory (CCD). Career and Technical Education earnings used as substitution credits in one subject area may not be used as a substitute for any other subject area. Career and Technical Education substitutions and approved Industry Certifications substituting for math and science credits will not count toward state university system admission requirements and may not count towards Bright Futures eligibility and NCAA athletic eligibility.

Award of High School Credit for Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO) Participation (Rule 6A-1.09442, F.A.C)

A student in grades 6 through 12 may be awarded one high school elective credit upon providing the Career and Technical Education office with verifiable documentation showing an accumulation of at least 135 hours of participation in CTSO activities that occur outside of regular class time.
No grade will be given for the course work but instead will be recorded as a transfer credit on the transcript. with a grade assigned as P (passing).
The 135-hour threshold may be accumulated over the course of one or more academic years.
The Career and Technical Education office will review the hours submitted and award the credit.

Course Substitutions

For a complete list of secondary course substitutions, see the FLDOE Secondary Student Progression FAQs, Career and Technical Education (CTE) Course Substitutions, and Course Code Directory.

Physical Education & Performing Arts Waivers

Participation in an interscholastic sport (FHSAA sanctioned), at the varsity or junior varsity level, for two full seasons will satisfy both the ½ credit Personal Fitness and the 1/2 credit physical education elective requirement.
Completion of one semester with a grade of C or better in a marching band class, physical activity class that requires participation in marching band activities as an extracurricular activity, or in a dance class will satisfy one-half credit in physical education elective or one-half credit in performing arts. (This credit may not be used to satisfy the personal fitness requirement or the requirement for adaptive physical education under an IEP.)
Completion of two years in a Reserve Officer Training Corps class (including a significant component of drills) will satisfy the one-half credit requirement in physical education elective or the one-credit requirement in performing arts. (This credit may not be used to satisfy the personal fitness requirement or the requirement for adaptive physical education under an IEP.)

Correspondence Courses

Credit by correspondence courses will not be accepted unless transferred in as part of an official transcript from another accredited school or district. Credit used for this type of course through a state or regionally-accredited school is required to be accepted at face value from an acceptable nationally recognized accreditation organization.

CPR Training

For students entering the ninth grade in 2017 - 18 and thereafter (Florida Statutes § 1003.453), compression only cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillator (AED) instruction will be implemented with the following requirements:

The twenty-four (24) credit standard diploma option will require compression only CPR and AED instruction.
- CPR and AED will be taught in the Personal Fitness course, traditionally or virtually.
- Additional instructional opportunities may be provided through another appropriate course or school-related activity.
The instructional program must meet the following requirements:
- The instruction will be in compliance with the American Heart Association, American Red Cross, or a nationally recognized program based on the most current national evidence-based emergency cardiovascular care guidelines for compression-only CPR.
- Instruction will include the core cognitive and psychomotor skills associated with compression-only CPR.
- Instruction will include the appropriate use of an AED which may be taught electronically (e.g. video).
Schools will provide compression only CPR instruction or will arrange for instruction by community-based providers.
- Compression-only CPR/AED instructors are not required to be certified teachers.
- Certified teachers providing compression-only CPR/AED instruction are not required to be certified trainers of compression-only CPR/AED.
- Students are not required to earn compression only CPR/AED certification to successfully complete the instruction.
- Students who are physically and/or cognitively unable to perform the training will be exempt from this requirement. Schools will make this determination in accordance with the student's Individualized Education Program (IEP).

Military Training

Students may be granted up to one elective credit toward graduation for successful completion of military basic training (pass/fail) during the summer between the 11th and 12th grades provided the student is officially enrolled in one of the approved National Guard or military reserve sponsored Split Training Option programs. Credit would be granted under the appropriate Junior ROTC course listing in the “State Course Code Directory” or other courses specifically designed to cover this program that may be added to the “Directory” by the Florida Department of Education.

Performance Standards

High School Physical Education

A combination of physical education and health curriculum is required for all high school students and is a specifically designated diploma requirement. Clay County District Schools utilizes the ½ credit Personal Fitness course to meet the health education requirements. Students must also take a ½ credit physical education course to fulfill the remaining diploma requirement. Students may not be exempted from this requirement if it is a requirement of the diploma option they are pursuing. See the Diploma Options section for full details. Selecting high school credit courses or participation in specified athletic activities can waive some or all of the physical education diploma requirements. See the Course Substitutions section for full details.

State Required Instruction

Pursuant to Florida Statute § 1003.42, students receive required instruction on topics that include but are not limited to the following:

The History of the United States, Civil Government, the History of the Holocaust, the History of African Americans, and the contributions of Hispanics and Women to the United States
Character education on self-control, resilience, leadership skills, kindness, empathy, cooperation, and conflict resolution
Comprehensive Health education per Florida Statutes § 1003.42 (2)(n), will cover various topics that include healthy relationships, teen dating violence (grades 7 - 12), personal health, internet safety, disease control, community health, consumer health, environmental health, family life, injury prevention and safety, nutrition, and personal health. The instruction in acquired immune deficiency syndrome, per Florida Statute § 1003.46, will be grade and age-appropriate for the student and will reflect current theory, knowledge, and practice regarding acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and its prevention. Section (3) of this statute allows any student whose parent makes a written request to the school principal to be exempted from the teaching of reproductive health or any disease, including HIV/AIDS, its symptoms, development, and treatment.

Typical High School Progression

Progressing through high school to meet graduation requirements can take many forms depending on the specific programs and courses available at the student’s school of enrollment. To assist students in developing an academic plan or those transferring into the district, here is an example of a basic high school progression to meet standard diploma requirements.

	9th Grade	10th Grade	11th Grade	12th Grade
English (4 credits)	English 1 (1 cr)	English 2 (1 cr)	English 3 (1 cr)	English 4 (1 cr)
Mathematics (4 credits) Algebra 1 (1 cr.) or 1A (1 cr.) & 1B (1 cr.) required	Algebra 1 (1 cr)	Geometry (1 cr)	Math course (1 cr)	Math course (1 cr)
Science (3 credits) Biology (1 cr.) required	Environmental Science (1 cr)	Biology (1 cr)	Science course (1 cr)
Social Studies (3 credits) World History, US History, Economics (½ cr.), US Government (½ cr.) required		World History (1 cr)	US History (1 cr)	US Gov (½ cr) Economics (½ cr)
Personal Fitness (½ credit)	Personal Fitness (½ cr)
Physical Education Elective (½ credit)	PE Elective (½ cr)
Performing/Fine Art or CTE Course (1 credit)	PF Elective (1 cr)
Financial Literacy (½ credit) required starting with the 23-24 cohort				Financial Literacy (½ cr)
Electives (7 ½ credits- starting with the 23-24 cohort or 8 credits for the 22-23 cohort and before)	Elective (1 cr)	Elective (1 cr) Elective (1 cr)	Elective (1 cr) Elective (1 cr)	Elective (½ cr) Elective (1 cr) Elective (1 cr)

Assessments & Test Scores

College Ready Test Scores

The State of Florida launched the College and Career Readiness Initiative to improve student readiness for postsecondary education and promote success after high school graduation. Students are considered “college ready” or prepared to enter college credit coursework when they meet the state-defined cut scores on approved common placement tests, per State Board Rule, 6A‐10.0315. The goals of this legislation are to 1) increase the number and percentage of students who graduate from high school ready for college credit coursework; 2) better communicate with 11th-grade students and their parents the requirements of college entry, and; 3) to provide students, whose test scores in reading, writing and/or mathematics indicate deficiencies in critical skills, an opportunity to attain the needed competencies during the 12th-grade year prior to high school graduation.

ACT

Reading - 19

& English - 17

Math 19

CLT (Classic Learning Test)

Sum of Verbal Reasoning and Grammar/Writing Sections - 38

Quantitative Reasoning - 16

SAT

Reading Test - 24

& Writing and Language Test - 25

Math Test - 24

PERT

Reading - 106

Writing - 103

Math - 114

End-of-Course (EOC) Exams

Some courses require End-of-Course (EOC) exams as determined by state legislation. The Algebra 1 EOC is 30% of the student’s overall grade and MUST PASS to meet the diploma requirements. Students who score a Level 1 or 2 on the Algebra 1 EOC, may be enrolled in and complete an intensive remedial course the following year or be placed in a content area course that includes remediation of skills not acquired by the student. EOCs are also required in junior high Civics, high school Geometry, high school Biology 1, and high school U.S. History. EOC scores count as 30% of the final grade and may be required to receive the Scholar diploma designation. Please see the Florida Graduation Requirements for the full list of requirements. The District and school distribute information about EOC requirements, testing information, and resources each year. Students in junior high taking a course requiring an EOC will not participate in the statewide standardized assessment for that subject.

Florida private school students do not participate in the statewide assessments because these assessments exist to meet federal and state assessment accountability requirements for Florida public schools. Private school students who transfer into a Florida public school, however, must achieve a passing score on the Algebra 1 EOC at some point and the Biology 1, Geometry, and U.S. History EOC if seeking a “Scholar” diploma. Students will have several opportunities to take these assessments. The School District will distribute information about the EOCs and graduation requirements to the private schools on a yearly basis. Public school students attending private schools through the use of a Florida Department of Education K - 12 Scholarship Program, such as Family Empowerment or Hope Scholarship may take the EOC assessments.

Students enrolled in accelerated courses (AP, IB, AICE, DE) leading to college credit are not required to participate in the EOC assessment. However, to meet the Scholar Diploma requirement in Biology 1 and US History, all AP, AICE, and IB students must pass their respective tests or the EOC assessment.

Semester Exams

All students in grades 9 - 12 will take semester exams. The Clay County School Board approved exam exemption procedures for seniors only is as follows:

Exam exemptions are limited to seniors only;
All seniors in year-long courses with a 1st-semester average of a “B” or better and a “B” average or better for 3rd and 4th quarters averaged together, will be exempt from taking those exams given at the end of the 2nd semester. Courses that are a semester in length are not exempt at any time;
Attendance is not a consideration under the current exemption policy;
Exam values are the same for the current school year;
Semester exams will not be given early.

Grading & Calculating Grade Point Averages (GPA)

High School Course Grades

Semester grades will be calculated by multiplying each quarter’s (9 weeks) numeric grade by .45 (45%), multiplying the semester exam by .10 (10%), and adding the products together. Courses that have a state End-of-Course (EOC) exam will be calculated by multiplying each quarter’s (9 weeks) numerical grade by .175 (17.5%), multiplying the EOC grade by .30 (30%), and adding the products together. For all courses, a final average of 60 and above earns credit (0.5 credit for semester courses and 1.0 credit for EOC courses).

Grading Scale

Florida Grading Scale for Grades 6 - 12 is used for determining final course averages for the purpose of calculating GPA, not for specific course work, Florida Statutes § 1003.437, F.S.

Letter Grade	Progress	Numerical Equivalent	Unweighted GPA Value (1.0 credit courses only)
A	Outstanding	90 - 100	4 point
B	Above Average	80 - 89	3 point
C	Average Progress	70 - 79	2 point
D	Below Average	60 - 69	1 point
F	Failure	0 - 59	0 point

Honor Roll

The Honor Roll status of students will be based on the following criteria:

The “A” Honor Roll will consist of all “As” on or above grade level;
The “A/B” Honor Roll will consist of all “As” or “Bs” on or above grade level;
Unweighted grades (Grades 7 - 12) are utilized for Honor Roll selection;

High School Grade Point Average (GPA)

Cumulative Unweighted GPA - the average of all final course grades received in high school level courses based on a 4.0 scale.
Cumulative Weighted GPA - the average of all final course grades received in high school level courses with more points or greater "weight" to grades in accelerated courses [i.e. honors courses, Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE), Advanced Placement (AP), and International Baccalaureate courses (I.B.)] are calculated on the weighted 5.0 scale.
Cumulative Weighted for Class Rank - the average of all final course grades received in high school level courses in grades 9 - 12 with more points or greater "weight" to grades in accelerated courses [i.e. honors courses, Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE), Advanced Placement (AP), and International Baccalaureate courses (I.B.)] are calculated on the weighted 5.0 scale. (Pursuant to Florida Statute §1007.271, district school boards may exercise a weighted grading system for the purposes of class ranking.)

High school Grade Point Average (GPA) is calculated and used for a variety of purposes.

	Scale Range	Purpose/Use
Unweighted GPA (all high school courses taken)	0.0 - 4.0	Dual enrollment eligibility High school graduation Athletic eligibility
Weighted GPA Each institution only uses select classes to calculate their specific weighted GPA. Check with each institution for their guidelines. The weighted GPA listed in Synergy and on your transcript is for estimation purposes only.	0.0 - 5.0	Bright Futures eligibility NCAA eligibility College Admissions
Weighted Ranking GPA (only courses taken in grades 9-12)	0.0 - 5.0	Valedictorian/Salutatorian designation Class Ranking

Scale Range

Purpose/Use

Unweighted GPA

(all high school courses taken)

0.0 - 4.0

Dual enrollment eligibility
High school graduation
Athletic eligibility

Weighted GPA

Each institution only uses select classes to calculate their specific weighted GPA. Check with each institution for their guidelines. The weighted GPA listed in Synergy and on your transcript is for estimation purposes only.

0.0 - 5.0

Bright Futures eligibility
NCAA eligibility
College Admissions

Weighted Ranking GPA

(only courses taken in grades 9-12)

0.0 - 5.0

Valedictorian/Salutatorian designation
Class Ranking

In calculating unweighted GPA for graduation and athletic eligibility purposes, all courses taken must be used in determining the final GPA. This calculation includes all virtual courses taken. WP and WF indicators in virtual courses are not counted in the GPA calculations. Quality points for unweighted GPA are assigned for each full-credit course on a scale of A = 4, B = 3, C = 2, D = 1, F = 0. Quality points are assigned for one-half credit courses on a scale of A = 2, B = 1.5, C =1, D = 0.5, F = 0. Students must have a 2.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale in order to meet graduation requirements and receive a Standard, Scholar, or Industry Scholar diploma. All high school credit-earning courses taken in grades 6 - 12 and through virtual programs will count in the cumulative GPA calculations. For the purpose of class rank, only credit-earning courses taken in grades 9 - 12 and through virtual programs during those years will be counted. Courses in which grade forgiveness policies have been applied are exempt.

In calculating weighted GPA, all courses designated as Honors, (this includes Pre-AICE and Pre-IB) will be weighted as 4.5 on the weight scale for Clay County District Schools. Level 3 Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses will be weighted on a 4.5 basis. Courses designated as Dual Enrollment, Advanced Placement, AICE, and International Baccalaureate will be weighted at 5.0.

All transfer work from a home education program other than Clay Virtual Academy, FLVS, or an accredited program will be posted on a pass/fail basis and will not be utilized in GPA calculation.

Interscholastic Participation

To be eligible for interscholastic competition, a student must meet the following criteria:

Have a cumulative 2.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale. Students who fall below the 2.0 requirement will remain ineligible for the next entire semester;
The student must be in good standing with the school based on school and District policies.
The student’s eligibility is also contingent upon meeting the policies established in the district’s Code of Student Conduct.
See School Board Policy 4.43 for complete eligibility information

Florida High School Athletic Association Academic Requirements

9.4.1 - 2.0 GPA Required for Academic Eligibility - A junior high student must have a 2.0 GPA, or the equivalent of a 2.0 GPA based on a 4.0 scale, at the conclusion of each semester. A high school student must have a cumulative 2.0 grade point average on a 4.0 unweighted scale, or its equivalent, at the conclusion of each semester to be academically eligible during the next semester, Florida Statutes § 1006.15(3)(a)1. Final grades previously earned by the student from another school will not be converted using the scale in Bylaw 9.4.2.
9.4.1.2 Academic Eligibility/Ineligibility is for a Semester - A student who is academically eligible at the beginning of a semester will continue to be academically eligible for that entire semester. Likewise, a student who is academically ineligible at the beginning of a semester will continue to be academically ineligible for that entire semester, except as provided in Bylaw 9.4.5.1.2. The student’s academic eligibility for each successive semester will depend upon his/her cumulative GPA at the conclusion of the previous semester.

Grade Recovery and Forgiveness (“D” and “F”)

Assignment Recovery

Grade Recovery

Credit Recovery

Grade Forgiveness

Students in grades 9 - 12 may retake a course in which they earned a D or F. The higher grade earned will be used in computing their GPA. The grade forgiveness policy for required courses is limited to replacing the grade of D or F with a grade of C or higher earned subsequently in the same or comparable course. Elective courses may replace a grade of D or F with a grade of C or higher in any elective course. Year-long electives earned subsequently will replace year-long electives; semester electives earned subsequently will replace semester electives. Junior High students taking high school credit-earning courses may forgive grades of C, D, or F. Once a C or higher is earned through grade forgiveness, all previous attempts are forgiven and are not included in the student’s GPA, but will remain listed on a student’s official transcript.

Intervention & Remediation

Reporting Student Progress

Reading Remediation

The Intensive Reading course is designed for 9 - 12 grade students reading below grade level. The course includes foundational skill benchmarks to be used until a student has mastered said benchmarks. The Intensive Reading course has been designed for the teacher to select and teach only the appropriate benchmarks corresponding to the student's grade and instructional level. Interventions must be evidence-based and correspond to the district K - 12 Evidence-based Comprehensive Reading Plan. Effective implementation requires the support to be matched to student needs and must be provided by a reading-endorsed/certified teacher.

All 9th through 12th-grade students scoring a Level 1 or Level 2 on the F.A.S.T. for English Language Arts (ELA) will undergo a review of prior historical academic performance and assessment data, as well as current stakeholder input. If the initial cumulative records review determines placement in intensive reading, the student scoring a Level 1 or Level 2 will be given a diagnostic screener to determine the specific skill gap(s).

The course includes the B.E.S.T. Standards for Applying Foundational Reading Skills for Students in grades 9 - 12 needing Reading Interventions. Interventions will be implemented until a student has mastered the Foundational Skills Standard. The expected outcome is for the student to achieve grade-level proficiency as determined by an achievement score of 3 or higher on the F.A.S.T. for ELA.

Students in grades 11 and 12 who score Level 1 or Level 2 on F.A.S.T. retakes and who have not earned a concordant ACT, SAT, and/or CLT score will be placed in an intervention course. This course will focus on ACT/SAT/CLT preparation and reading remediation using an evidence-based, explicit, and systematic district-approved curriculum. If a student passes the F.A.S.T. retake or earns a concordant score, (s)he may exit the intensive reading program at the end of the first semester.

Math Remediation

As a mandatory Florida math graduation requirement, students in Algebra 1 and Geometry are required to take an End-of-Course exam. Students not scoring an achievement Level 3 or higher will be placed in a Foundations or a Foundations/Geometry co-requisite course combination based on scale score. Secondary schools will also utilize the Edgenuity online program to remediate course work, as a virtual tutor, and for credit recovery. Additional remedial options are available in all Clay County secondary schools through the School Counseling Department.

Summer School: Credit Recovery & Grade Forgiveness

Students in grades 9th - 12th can retake academic courses for credit recovery or grade forgiveness during CCDS Summer school. Students may only take up to one full credit (or two ½ credit segments) through the CCDS Summer school program. All CCDS summer school coursework must be completed fully by the published deadline in order for students to receive credit.

Promotion, Diploma Options, & Graduation

Promotion and Placement of High School Students

Grade level designation for high school students will be determined as follows:

Following completion of one year designated as a 9th grader, the student will be designated as a 10th grader in the student information system. This designation does not guarantee that the student has successfully completed the traditional 6 credits per school year;
Following completion of one year designated as a 10th grader, the student will be designated as an 11th grader in the student information system. This designation does not guarantee that the student has successfully completed the traditional 12 credits for two years of high school enrollment;
Following the completion of one year designated as an 11th grader, the student will be designated as a 12th grader in the student information system. This designation does not guarantee that the student has successfully completed the traditional 18 credits for three years of high school enrollment;

According to state statutes, students are assigned to a cohort year based on the year they first entered 9th grade. This cohort year determines the graduation requirements that must be met by that student. Students will be regularly notified as to their “credits earned” status toward graduation. The student will need to acquire the appropriate number of credits based on the graduation option chosen in order to be on track to graduate in four years with their 9th-grade cohort. Credit recovery and grade forgiveness opportunities exist to help maintain students’ progress toward graduation.

Students aged 18 or older wishing to return to school after withdrawing may petition the school for placement. The principal and/or designee will review the reasons for the return given by the student and family. The principal will make the final determination based on the following requirements:

The student has accumulated at least 16 credits;
The student has a probable chance of graduating within the academic year;
An agreement between the student and school concerning attendance, behavior, and school performance is agreed upon.

If the principal does not agree to the conditions or the student does not meet the criteria, Adult Education will serve the student's educational needs.

As in state statute, students who received a “Certificate of Completion” may return for a fifth (5th) year of high school to obtain their Standard Diploma.

Diploma Options & Considerations

Students have several diploma options per Florida Statutes § 1003.4282. They are:

24-credit Standard option (with “Scholar” and/or Industry Scholar Designations)
18-credit Academically Challenging Curriculum to Enhance Learning (ACCEL) option
Career and Technical Education (CTE) Pathway
International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma
Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) Diploma

All of these graduation options include opportunities to take rigorous academic courses designed to prepare students for their future academic and career choices. Students may change their selection of program options (24-credit and 18-credit ACCEL options) at any time during grades 9 - 12. Please refer to the “Graduation Requirement” charts to compare programs and the criteria for each type of diploma.

Key points to remember when choosing a graduation option:

Students selecting the AICE and/or IB program are committed to the program. Should a student decide to exit the program prior to completion, they will be placed in the 24-credit option and must meet all requirements for that option;
A student selecting the 18-credit ACCEL program must attend high school as a full-time student for three (3) years. These students are still eligible for Florida Bright Futures Scholarships and qualify for acceleration programs (e.g.: AP, Dual Enrollment, etc.) if all criteria are met; High school credits awarded prior to the 9th grade will be counted toward the required credits for all graduation options;
Students who plan to apply to an out-of-state or private in-state college or university and who are interested in the 18-credit ACCEL option should contact those institutions as early as possible for specific admissions requirements;
Students must complete an online course to meet the graduation requirement (unless otherwise specified). Students in the IB, AICE, or 18-credit ACCEL programs are exempt from this graduation requirement. If an IB, AICE, or 18-credit ACCEL student withdraws or is removed from the program, they must fulfill this requirement.
Students in the IB and AICE programs are exempt from Physical Education and Performing/Fine Arts requirements. If an IB or AICE student withdraws or is removed from the program, they must fulfill this requirement.

24-Credit Standard Diploma

This program takes the traditional four years to complete high school and requires students to take at least 24 credits in core content areas. World Language is not required for this program, although it is recommended for Florida college preparation and is required for admission to Florida’s state universities.

4 credits in English Language Arts - major concentration in composition, reading for information, and literature; must pass the 10th grade State ELA assessment or have a concordant score on a standardized test (ACT, SAT);
4 credits in Math - two of which must be Algebra 1 (must pass EOC and have exam count as 30% of course grade) and Geometry (must participate in EOC with results counting for 30% of the final grade in the course); two credits may be substituted with an allowable industry certification that leads to college credit.
3 credits in Science - one of which must be Biology 1 (must participate in EOC with results counting for 30% of the final grade in the course); two (2) of the three (3) credits must have lab components; one (1) credit may be substituted with an allowable industry certification that leads to college credit, Biology 1 excluded; one (1) credit may be substituted with an identified rigorous computer science course with a related industry certification, Biology 1 excluded;
3 credits in Social Science - one (1) credit in U.S. History (must participate in EOC with results counting for 30% of the final grade in the course); one (1) credit in World History; half (½) credit in Economics with Financial Literacy; half (½) credit in American Government;
1 credit in Fine and Performing Arts, speech and debate, or CTE course;
1 credit in Physical Education (includes integration of health)
½ credit in Financial Literacy (starting with the 23-24 cohort class);
8 credits in electives (7 ½ credits starting with the 23-24 cohort class) - elective courses are selected by the student in order to pursue a complete educational program and to meet eligibility requirements. Some students will be required to take certain electives based on assessment scores. Any academic class taken above the minimum requirements listed above will count towards a student's total elective credits;
Select courses within the 24 credits may be earned through equivalent, applied, integrated, or career education courses, including work-related internships;
The student must have a cumulative unweighted GPA of 2.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.

18-Credit ACCEL Diploma

Students who choose this option are only required to earn 18 credits Florida Statutes § 1002.3105. The core credits (math, English Language Arts, social sciences, and science) are the same as the standard diploma types. These students pursuing the ACCEL diploma option do not have to earn a physical education credit. For students in cohort 22-23 and prior, only three (3) elective credits are needed instead of eight (8) elective credits. For students in cohorts 23-24 and beyond, only 2.5 elective credits are needed instead of 7.5 elective credits. All other requirements are still in effect.

Students who choose to complete the 18-credit ACCEL diploma option are encouraged to speak with any post-secondary institutions they may consider to ensure that they have met the necessary admissions requirements.

Career and Technical Education Graduation Pathway Option

Beginning with the 2019-2020 school year, a student may earn a standard high school diploma through the Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathway option.

To earn a standard high school diploma through this pathway option, a student must:

Successfully complete a minimum of 18 credits.
Have a minimum, cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale.
Meet the requirements of  
- 4 English credits (including the statewide grade 10 Reading assessment or the grade 10 ELA assessment, or earn a concordant score)
- 4 Math credits (including the statewide Algebra I EOC assessment, or earn a comparative score)
- 3 Science credits
- 3 Social Studies credits
Complete two credits in Career and Technical Education. The courses must result in program completion and an industry certification. 
Complete two credits in work-based learning programs. A student may substitute up to two credits of electives, including one-half credit in financial literacy, for work-based learning program courses to fulfill this requirement.

Scholar Diploma Designation

The requirements include the same requirements as the 24 Credit Standard Diploma with the following additions:

Math - earn one (1) credit in Algebra 2; pass the Geometry EOC; earn one (1) credit in statistics or an equally rigorous course;
Science - must pass the Biology 1 EOC or earn minimum score for college credit on AP, AICE, or IB Biology 1 assessment; must take chemistry or physics; earn one (1) credit in a course that is equally rigorous to chemistry or physics;
Social Studies - must pass the U.S. History EOC or earn minimum score for college credit on AP, AICE, or IB U.S. History assessment;
Earn at least two (2) credits in a world language;
Earn at least one (1) credit in AP, IB, AICE, or Dual Enrollment course

Industry Scholar Diploma Designation

The requirements include the same requirements as the 24-Credit Standard Diploma with the addition of attaining one or more industry certifications.

Florida Seal of Biliteracy

Students who attain a high level of competency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in one or more world languages, in addition to English, will be eligible for the Gold or Silver Seal of Biliteracy award. This level of attainment will then be denoted on the student’s diploma and transcript.

The purpose of recognizing students’ attainment of this proficiency is to: encourage students to study world languages; provide employers with a method of identifying an individual with biliteracy skills who is seeking employment; provide a postsecondary institution with a method of recognizing an applicant with biliteracy skills who is seeking admissions to the postsecondary institution; affirm the value of diversity, honor multiple cultures and languages, and strengthen the relationships between cultures in a community. Students should consult with their school counselors in order to learn more about the standards of each level.

Silver Seal of Biliteracy
- earn four world language course credits in the same world language with a cumulative 3.0 GPA or higher on a 4.0 scale, and
Gold Seal of Biliteracy
- earn four world language course credits in the same world language with a cumulative 3.0 GPA or higher on a 4.0 scale, and
- earn a 4 or higher on the 10th-grade English Language Arts State assessment

In the event that the student was not able to complete four (4) years of a world language for high school credit, other assessment and portfolio options may be used to fulfill the award requirements. Where a portfolio is relied upon to determine whether to award a Seal of Biliteracy, school district-appointed personnel with language performance at the distinguished level on the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines 2012 in the same language as the student portfolio will assess the portfolio. Students should consult with their school counselors to learn more about the standards, additional exam options, and performance of each level.

Certificate of Completion

Students who meet all credit requirements for graduation but fail to meet a state assessment requirement AND/OR the required GPA for graduation may be awarded a Certificate of Completion. Basic education students or students served under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 who receive a Certificate of Completion or are eligible to receive a Certificate of Completion may return to school for one additional year to meet all graduation requirements and receive a regular high school diploma. Awarding a Certificate of Completion applies to students choosing the 24-credit option and the 18-credit ACCEL option. A student who has not completed all requirements for the three-year option, including earning passing scores on the state assessments and achieving the required GPA, must be required to meet the 24-credit option and must attend high school for a fourth year.

It is the District’s policy that in order for a student to receive a diploma from the school in which they attended during their senior year, they must complete all requirements before the end of the summer school session. If the requirements are met after the beginning of school for the next year, that student will receive an Adult High School Diploma.

Graduation Requirements Chart

Graduation Exercises

Students who meet the requirements for a Standard, Scholar, Industry Scholar, and Certificate of Completion will be eligible to participate in graduation exercises at their last school of enrollment, unless the District or local school rules dealing with discipline or rules relative to graduation exercise participation are violated. Any violation is subject to review by the school principal for determination of the outcome. Students who fail to meet the minimum credits or grade point average as prescribed by Clay County District Schools, even though they have passed the state assessments, will not participate in graduation exercises and will not receive a Certificate of Completion. Students eligible for a Certificate of Completion will participate in graduation exercises. It is also District and State policy that eligible students are:

Allowed to graduate before their cohorts (the 24-credit option and 18-credit ACCEL option);
Students who graduate before their cohorts may continue to participate in school and social events and other specifically named events as part of the student’s cohort, excluding athletics;
Authorize eligible students who graduate from high school mid-year to receive a Bright Futures Scholarship award during the spring term.

During all phases of graduation exercises, including rehearsals, Baccalaureate, and commencement, students participating will not be differentiated as diploma or Certificate of Completion except as noted in programs used during scheduled exercises. Any reference made relative to the certification of students exiting high school during graduation exercises will be limited to the certification of the entire class. An example of wording or a statement that would be acceptable for use in the exercises would be, “Seniors of the class of ____are now certified as graduates or have completed their high school course of study as prescribed by Clay County District Schools and the State of Florida.”

Valedictorian and Salutatorian Recognition

When a school awards Valedictorian and Salutatorian status, the following criteria must be met:

Senior class rank (Valedictorian & Salutatorian inclusive) will be based on a weighted grade point average on all courses taken in grades 9 - 12 including virtual courses (Clay GPA for Class Rank). Calculations of GPAs for valedictorian and salutatorian will be made at the conclusion of the eighth semester. If virtual grades are not reported to the school prior to the last day of senior exams, that course should not be included in the determination of valedictorian(s) and salutatorian(s).
A high school transfer student will be given quality point weighting for any course acceptable for transfer if that course is deemed comparable to a course in Clay County that receives a quality point weighting. All courses that carry weight on the grade point average should be labeled on the transfer student record as honors, dual enrollment, advanced, advanced placement, accelerated, or some other description that denotes an honors-level class. The principal or designee will make the determination as to which transfer courses qualify for quality points.
Students graduating from a three-year 18-credit Graduation Program are eligible for valedictorian and salutatorian status. The conclusion of the eighth semester is the deadline for an 18-credit graduation program student to select to graduate and compete for valedictorian or salutatorian status or continue to complete the 24-credit diploma.
A student who transfers to or within Clay County during the last year before graduation is not eligible to be named sole Valedictorian or Salutatorian. However, that student is eligible to be Co-Valedictorian or Co-Salutatorian based on the following criteria:
- If ranked first in the senior class based on the cumulative weighted GPA, the transfer student would be named Co-Valedictorian along with the second-ranked student. The third-ranked student would be named Salutatorian.
- If ranked second in the senior class, the transfer student would be named Co-Salutatorian along with the third-ranked student.

Bright Futures Scholarship

Eligibility Requirements

The Bright Futures Scholarship Program is intended to reward any Florida high school graduate who merits recognition of high academic achievement and who enrolls in an eligible Florida public or private post-secondary educational institution within three (3) years of high school graduation. If a student enlists directly into the military after graduation, the three-year period begins upon the date of separation of active duty. If a student has a full-time religious or service obligation lasting at least 18 months, the two-year eligibility period for an initial award and the five-year period for renewal begin upon completion of the obligation. The Bright Futures Scholarship Program is the umbrella program for state-funded scholarships based on academic achievement in high school that was formerly provided through such programs as the “Florida Academic Scholars” and “Gold Seal Programs”. High school counseling departments can provide specific details about meeting the program's criteria. The following information covers the basic components of the “Bright Futures Scholarship Program”:

Four Levels of Scholarship Awards - Florida Academic Scholars (FAS); Florida Medallion Scholars (FMS); Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars (GSV); Florida Gold Seal CAPE Scholars (GSC)
For all four awards, the student must earn a Florida high school diploma and meet the requirements for the specific award.
Each award has its own academic requirements, award amounts, and funding length. A student may receive funding for only one award with the highest award earned being selected.
Earn the 16 core credits
Achieve the required Grade Point Average or Industry Certification depending on the level received
Achieve the required SAT, ACT, or PERT test scores for the level received
Perform the required number of voluntary service hours or work hours based on the level received

Florida Academic Scholars (FAS) - 100 service hours OR 100 work hours

Florida Medallion Scholars (FMS) - 75 service hours OR 100 work hours

Gold Seal Vocational Award (GSV) and Gold Seal CAPE Scholars (GSC) - 30 service hours OR 100 work hours

Note: Students may use a combination of service and work hours but if a combination is used they must earn 100 hours for all levels of Bright Futures.

More information about the Bright Futures program, along with other Florida scholarship opportunities, can be found at http://www.FloridaStudentFinancialAid.org.

Service Hours or Work Hours for Bright Futures

Service Hours or work hours are required for all Bright Futures Scholarship Awards. Students may begin service hours or work hours the summer before the student enters ninth grade. These service hours or work hours are not a Florida or school district requirement for graduation with a standard high school diploma.

Service Hour Requirements

For students who are attempting to receive service hours towards Bright Futures for an activity, below are the district guidelines:

Activities performed at school should be designed to meet greater needs in the areas of health, education, environment, or public safety identified within the school. The benefits of the activities should be extended to individuals or families in need, not to the student’s own family;
To count as service hours, activities must be unpaid. The student must not be compensated with money, goods, or services for their time. Any paid activities will need to meet the requirements for documented work hours in the following section;
Service activities must be rendered for “not-for-profit” organizations or agencies;
The student may engage in direct, indirect, or advocacy service activities. Definitions and examples of those activities are:
- “Direct Service” involves face-to-face contact with service recipients. Examples include tutoring other students, serving meals at a homeless shelter, or working with the elderly in a nursing home;
- “Indirect Service” involves performing a service without having face-to-face contact with the recipients. Usually, resources are channeled to or through an organization to help alleviate a problem. Examples include food and clothing drives, marathons, fundraisers, or environmental projects;
- “Advocacy” involves educating others about a particular social problem with the goal of eliminating the cause of that problem. Examples include writing letters to legislators or editors, preparing and displaying posters to an identified audience, writing and performing informative plays, or creating educational materials for other target groups.
Hours spent in service activities must be verified by a site supervisor. Documentation must be kept on or attached to the CCDS Service Hours Log and Reflection Form and turned in to the student’s assigned school counselor or designee.

Activities that will NOT be accepted as service hours include, but are not limited to, the following:

Any activity that violates federal or state laws, which prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, creed, sex, age, color, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, or disability;
Co-curricular activities that are course requirements;
Hours submitted after graduation;
Fostering of animals in a location other than the shelter associated with a government agency or non-profit organization;
Any activity whose main purpose is to increase the amount of revenue for a private, for-profit business or to generate new revenue for that business;
Any activity that replaced a paid staff worker of the agency or institution that the student volunteers with;
Any activity rendered as a prerequisite for future student employment;
Any activity that is performed as a result of disciplinary action taken by the school or courts;
Any activity whose main purpose is to help prepare and/or participate in the performance of a religious service or religious educational activity UNLESS the hours are spent addressing a social problem (examples may include: Habitat for Humanity, a community-wide summer vacation Bible school, etc.);
Attendance at self-improvement workshops or conferences;
Participation as an athlete in school sponsored athletics;
Participation as an assistant or trainer at a school-based sports training camp;
Participation in regularly scheduled school drama, band, or chorus performances, festivals, or competitions.

Work Hour Requirements

For students who are attempting to receive work hours towards Bright Futures for an activity, below are the district guidelines:

Work hours must be for an established business or organization with a business license, non-profit status, or IRS business designation.
Documentation of work hours must be submitted by providing a copy of the student’s paycheck stub or other official documentation from the company showing the dates and hours the student worked and the pay that they received for their work.
Documentation is to be provided to the student’s assigned school counselor or other designee prior to the student’s graduation.

Section 6 - VPK

The Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten Education Program is a free pre-kindergarten program for 4-year-olds who reside in Florida and were born on or before September 1 of the year they would enter the program. Parents of 4-year-olds with birthdays from February 2 through September 1 may postpone enrolling their child until the following year when they are 5. A Certificate of Eligibility (COE) is required to attend a VPK program. The parent/guardian must obtain the COE from the Early Learning Coalition. The VPK program is offered during the school year (540 instructional hours) and during the summer (300 instructional hours) at selected elementary school sites. No fees are charged for VPK’s required instructional hours. Each VPK program has the flexibility to structure daily hours per week to meet the required number of instructional hours. There is no requirement for school districts to transport children to VPK. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to provide transportation to VPK. The VPK program is not special education and does not provide specially designed instruction or related services. The VPK Program has policies related to attendance and discipline.

School-Year VPK Program at CCDS Elementary Schools

School-year seating for each VPK program is determined by a lottery. Seating is very limited (7 seats per VPK program). School-year VPK lottery dates and the online application are located on the District website. Students may apply for one school in the lottery and cannot be placed in multiple lotteries for the district elementary schools. Students who do not receive a seat through the selected elementary VPK lottery will be placed on a waitlist. The waitlist will be capped at seven (7) students. The following documents are required once the lottery is confirmed:

Birth Certificate
FL680 Immunization Record
School Entry Health Exam submitted within 30 days of enrollment
Parent’s Government-Issued Photo ID
Signed and Dated Certificate of Eligibility (COE)

Before and After Extended Stay occurring outside of the VPK provider contractual instructional hours, but within the regular school day is available for a nominal fee through CCDS deduction or Scheduled Payment Agreement Form.

Montessori VPK Program at Swimming Pen Creek Elementary

Seating for the Montessori VPK program is determined at the school level.

Summer VPK Program at CCDS Elementary Schools

Seating for the Summer VPK program is limited to 12 seats. Seating is assigned in the order of received applications containing the required information and documents.

School-Year VPK Program at CCDS High Schools

The school-year VPK program is offered at five of the District’s High School Child Care Learning Labs as part of the Early Childhood Education program: Fleming Island High School, Middleburg High School, Oakleaf High School, Orange Park High School, and Ridgeview High School. Please contact the center director if you are interested in a seat at the school.

Section 7 - Clay Virtual Academy

Clay Virtual Academy (CVA) is a school of choice option for Kindergarten - 12th grade students who reside in and outside of Clay County. CVA is part of the Clay County school system as a franchise of Florida Virtual School (FLVS)with an accreditation status of Cognia and offers approved NCAA courses with both full-time and part-time enrollment opportunities for public, private, or homeschool students when room is available and the student meets the Profile for Success Criteria.

Enrollment & Attendance

Kindergarten and First Grade CVA Enrollment

Students enrolling in Kindergarten must be five (5) years old on or before September 1 in the school year in which he or she is enrolling.
Students enrolling in first grade must be six (6) years old on or before September 1 in the school year for which he or she is enrolling.
Age requirements for students with disabilities who have an active Individual Educational Plan (IEP) may differ from the general school age requirements.

Part-Time Enrollment and Academic Requirements

Students must meet the recommended academic progress outlined below, including the

following enrollment requirements:

4th - 5th grade students if they have qualifying state assessment scores
6th - 12th grade student meeting the Profile for Success Criteria.
Any Student may opt to take 7th or 8th-period courses through Clay Virtual Academy or FLVS for acceleration, original credit, or grade forgiveness.

Part time students may only have two (2) active courses at a time, on any virtual platform. Additional courses will need approval from a, without a school counselor override. For more information please see your school counselor or the CVA website: cva.myoneclay.net.

Full-Time Enrollment and Academic Requirements

Students must meet the recommended academic progress outlined below, including the

following enrollment requirements:

10th - 12th-grade students must currently be on track for a 24-credit diploma to include a minimum 2.0 GPA and the appropriate credits earned for each school year completed:
- Students should have six credits at the end of the 9th grade school year.
- Students should have 12 credits at the end of the 10th-grade school year.
- Students should have 18 credits at the end of the 11th-grade school year.
- Students are required to complete six (6) courses during the semester of graduation. This is an accreditation requirement.

Requirements for Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities are required to meet the state and CVA/FLVS Franchise Profile for Success Criteria in order to be accepted into CVA full time, just as their non-disabled peers.
Current Individual Educational Plans (IEP) of student applicants who meet the school’s entrance criteria will be reviewed on an individual basis in order to determine the appropriateness of the full-time virtual education option.

FLVS Full-Time and FLVS Flex Through the Home Education Office

Students who enroll directly with FLVS full-time as a school choice option through the Home Education Office are no longer considered Clay County enrollees but may still participate in state tests and extracurricular activities at their zoned schools. Please see the Home Education section for more information.

Application and Enrollment Process for Full-Time Students

Applications for CVA are accepted during open enrollment periods which open 90 days before the first day of school and close 30 days before the first day of school. These enrollment dates are listed on the CVA website, cva.myoneclay.net. Applications are considered without regard to disability, race, national origin, religion, or gender. The application process is to ensure, as fair as possible, that students will be successful in their academic work.

The application process for CVA is multi-step, and the student is not enrolled in CVA until all of the following steps are completed:

Parent and Student Responsibilities Agreement is completed and submitted by the parent/guardian;
An application is submitted during the enrollment period;
A VSA/FLVS account for both the parent and the student is created;
The parent/guardian and student attend a meeting with a CVA School Counselor to determine whether applicants meet the Profile for Success Criteria. School counselors determine academic decisions only and are unaware of holds that may prohibit CVA enrollment.
The parent/guardian completes the online Synergy ParentVUE registration and submits all required documentation for their student.
The student’s most recent school gives clearance from any holds, including disciplinary holds, and releases registration of the student to CVA.

CVA reserves the right to suspend the application and registration process after two follow-up attempts to request the completion of any requirement without resolution. Acceptance to CVA at any other time than an open enrollment period is only under extenuating circumstances and requires administrative and school counselor approval.

Full-time enrollment for CVA is a year-long commitment. Full-time students can be released from CVA upon an academic review of the Profile for Success Criteria and/or not adhering to the Parent and Student Responsibilities Agreement.

Course Offerings

CVA offers numerous courses during the school year, including Honors, Advanced Placement (AP), and Dual Enrollment courses. CVA course grades are accepted for credit and are only transferable upon completion of the course. Partial grades cannot be transferred.. Here is a current list of CVA Course Offerings.

Attendance Requirements

Attendance for CVA is documented as follows:

All K 12 students must submit the weekly work required (as listed on the pacing chart for each course) by 4:59 p.m. on Friday of each week to be counted for attendance purposes.
Students in grades K - 12 must attend weekly scheduled live lessons with their teacher.
ESE students must attend their scheduled support sessions with their contact teacher.
Daily VSA login data can be used to determine attendance for any K - 12 student whose coursework is not up to date.

Curriculum, Assessment, & Instruction

Academic Integrity

Student academic integrity is a core value and universal expectation at CVA as a franchise of Florida Virtual School (FLVS). Detailed information regarding the criminal nature of academic brokering, the policies pertaining to reporting, and the proctored exam process can be found on the FLVS website at FLVS Academic Integrity.

Elementary Handwriting Standards and Expectations

Students in Kindergarten through grade 3 enrolled full time are required to submit handwritten work for all assignments in the enrolled student’s own handwriting. Students in grades 4 and 5 may submit typed assignments with the exception of the assignments that include handwriting standards. The requirement for students to submit work in their own handwriting aligns with FLVS Academic Integrity policies. Students with an IEP, 504 Plan, or other ESE documentation on file at CVA may require accommodations for the response options for class assignments. The teacher or parent should contact the ESE Department at CVA to discuss any necessary accommodations.

Technology Requirements

To maintain contact with teachers, staff, and administration, students must have daily access to the following:

Computer with webcam and microphone
Internet service
Email
Telephone

Pacing and Weekly Work Requirements

Within each course, the instructor outlines the weekly minimum work requirements that provides students with a pacing chart which needs to be followed. Both full-time and part-time students should commit five (5) to six (6) hours per week to each virtual course. Students not staying on pace are considered absent based on this pacing and/or lack of weekly work submissions. This may impact attendance and future enrollment in CVA. Students struggling to independently succeed in the virtual setting may find it in their best interest to attend a traditional school where daily monitoring and assistance in time management and task completion can occur.

Live Lesson Requirement

Participation and attendance in Live Lessons leads to student success in their courses. Students in grades K-12 are expected to have regular attendance to their class time/live lessons. Students are also required to attend their support sessions as mandated by the student’s IEP or EP.

Grace Period

Students taking courses through Clay Virtual Academy (CVA) or Florida Virtual School (FLVS) are given a grace period designed for previewing or attempting a course without penalty. Grace Period is defined as reaching 20% complete or 21 days in a virtual course. Students are expected to complete their courses after the grace period has been exhausted. If a student drops a course after the allotted grace period, they will receive a grade of Withdrawal Passing (WP) or Withdrawal Failing (WF) on their transcript and may forfeit the opportunity to take virtual courses in the future.

When students add courses, the educational suitability and availability of courses will be considered before approval will be granted. Changes will only be considered during the first 20% or 21 days. If a student seeks to enter back into a class at their zoned school, class size caps established by the state may disallow that change. After the 21-day grace period, the student may have to complete the course online. Administrators and school counselors will interpret this.

Resubmission

As part of the CVA/FLVS Franchise commitment to mastery learning as a process, students who choose to remediate material to gain additional understanding will have the option to re-attempt a formative assessment in their course. Formative assessments in a course may include worksheets, written compositions, lab reports, short answer paragraphs, essays, book responses, graded discussion board posts, and other assessments that require teacher evaluation of the student’s work. While infrequent situational deviation may occur at an Instructional Leader’s/Administrator’s discretion, Florida Virtual School limits the number of total attempts to three on the formative assessments mentioned above. Summative assessment submissions will be limited to one. Exceptions may be made in certain situations if determined appropriate by the Instructional team. Resubmission of coursework must be completed before taking the segment exam (grades 6 - 12).

Final Grades

Students enrolled in Clay Virtual Academy (CVA) or Florida Virtual School (FLVS) courses will only have grades finalized or transferred upon completion of each segment. There are no partial/quarter grades for CVA/FLVS courses.

All course grades are final. Students can only resubmit assignments before the segment exam is completed.An official final grade report will be emailed to the student. If the course withdrawal date falls within the grace period, a grade of “W” will be issued. After the grace period, a grade of “WP” or “WF” will be issued to their school transcripts.

Academic Review Process

Full-time students will undergo an academic review each semester. This is to ensure student success in the virtual environment. Several things are considered when conducting these reviews, including the continued meeting of all Profile for Success Criteria, growth and achievement on all Progress Monitoring assessments, and adherence to the in-person testing and live lesson requirements.

Expectation of Communication and Drop Policy

Communication is key to a student’s success l in an online course. It is the student and parent’s responsibility to ensure that both the VSA/FLVS platform and the Synergy platform are updated with correct student and parent contact information at all times. It is essential that the student and instructors maintain regular contact.

If the student does not submit the expected number of assignment(s) within a period of seven (7) consecutive days, the student and parent(s) will receive correspondence from the instructor. Through this correspondence, the student, parent(s), and teacher will work to resolve any issues that prevent the student from submitting an acceptable number of assignments each week. Placeholders will be entered for any missing assignments to give a more accurate overview of the student’s progress.
If the student does not submit the expected number of assignment(s) within a period of fourteen (14) consecutive days, the student and parent(s) will receive correspondence from the instructor. Through this correspondence, the student, parent(s), and teacher will work to resolve any issues that prevent the student from submitting an acceptable number of assignments each week. Placeholders will be entered for any missing assignments to give a more accurate overview of the student’s progress. All assignments must be submitted in order to receive credit for the course. No exemptions will be granted as each assignment relates to a specific course standard that must be covered.
If the student does not respond by submitting assignments within twenty-one (21) days of the initial correspondence, CVA will assume that the student does not intend to remain in the course, and the student will be administratively dropped from the course.

Course Reinstatement

Reinstatement into a course may only be requested for a course dropped during the current school year.
Students who are dropped from a course the first two times may request reinstatement through their teacher by contacting the teacher directly and creating a success plan. Any student requesting reinstatement for a third time will request it by contacting the principal of CVA and submitting a success plan to include a written statement showing the student’s commitment to finishing out the course. Reinstatements will not be granted after the third attempt.

State Testing Requirement

As a School of Choice and a Franchise of FLVS, CVA full-time students must take all state assessments at their zoned school. Students who do not take their state assessments can be found ineligible to return to CVA for full-time enrollment. Families who want to opt out of state testing can only do so through the Home Education enrollment option.

Graduation

CVA holds a graduation ceremony for graduating seniors. Students have the option to participate at their zoned school’s graduation if they are in good standing and have spent the majority of their high school years at the zoned school. CVA students will not be considered for the class rank of their zoned school. It is the student’s responsibility to stay in contact with their zoned school to ensure they are eligible and approved to attend their graduation. Any student recommended for an alternative educational setting for disciplinary reasons may not participate in the commencement exercises at their zoned school; including students who enroll at CVA in lieu of the recommended alternative educational setting.

Section 8 - Montessori

Clay County District Schools is proud to offer the Montessori program at Swimming Pen Creek Elementary. Swimming Pen Creek is dedicated to providing development of the whole child through Montessori education by cultivating independent thought and foundational skills as well as awareness of their environment; empathy for others, social ease and confidence. The Montessori program seeks to establish within a child the intellectual, emotional, and physical rigor needed to become a self-directed learner, flexible thinker, creative problem solver, and support the child's ever-increasing curiosity about the world in which they live.

All general and elementary specific procedures and guidelines apply to students who enroll in the Montessori program. For Montessori specific information, please see below.

Report Cards & Grading

A student’s progression on a curriculum continuum, aligned with the applicable state standards, will be determined by teacher judgment. Teacher judgment will be based on the student’s academic achievement as indicated on a student performance checklist aligned with the applicable state standards for that grade level. Documentation of teacher judgment may be based on any of the following procedures:

applicable tests or evaluation activities selected from the district textbook program or other school-selected instructional materials;
applicable samples of students’ daily work assignments;
records of observations of student work (oral and written); and
teacher-made assessments.

Report cards are vehicles by which students’ achievements are communicated to parents. The report card will include student performance in a variety of areas with teacher comments and regularly scheduled parent conferences. Report cards are posted in the parent portal on dates established by the district.

Montessori Grading Scale (Kindergarten- Grade 4)

Grade	Grading Scale	Definition
E	90 - 100	Outstanding Progress
S	75 - 89	Satisfactory Progress
N	65 - 74	Needs Improvement
U	0 - 64	Unsatisfactory Progress

Fourth grade will be considered a transitional year for students entering upper elementary where they maintain the same grading scale as in previous years.

Montessori Grading Scale (Grade 5 - 6)

Grade	Grading Scale	Definition
A	90 - 100	Outstanding Progress
B	80 - 89	Satisfactory Progress
C	70 - 79	Satisfactory
D	60 - 69	Needs Improvement
F	0 - 59	Unsatisfactory Progress

Reporting Student Progress

A teacher will provide notification at any time during a grading period (in the parents’ primary language) when it is apparent that a student may fail or is doing unsatisfactory work that may lead to failure in any course/subject. School staff should put their best effort into verbally communicating warnings to students and parents via phone, email, or other means to confirm receipt. Parents and guardians opting to have written communication must make the request in writing to the school principal or designee. The parents will be offered an opportunity for a conference with the teacher and/or principal/designee. A student may not receive a report card grade of “U” or “F” if this procedure has not been followed

Assessments

Ongoing comprehensive assessments providing annual benchmark measures that are aligned with the applicable state standards will be used to determine individual student performance. The student’s performance will be compared to a standardized expected level of performance for the child’s chronological age to determine progression on the curriculum continuum. Appropriate standardized tests will be used to evaluate the program.

Promotion Criteria & Academic Level Assignments

A student will progress at his/her own pace on a curriculum continuum aligned with the applicable state standards. Ongoing assessments and annual reviews will be used to determine a student’s level of performance.

Any waivers to these requirements that are necessary to implement this program will be approved by the superintendent or designee prior to implementation.

Section 9 - English For Speakers Of Other Languages

The English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program is designed to develop English language proficiency and academic potential for eligible English Language Learners (ELL). (F.S. 1003.56) English Language Learners are students with limited English proficiency and are further defined as:

students who were not born in the United States and whose native language is a language other than English, or
students from a home environment where a language other than English is spoken, or
American Indian or Alaskan Native students from an environment where a language other than English has had a significant impact on their level of English language proficiency, and
who have sufficient difficulty speaking, reading, writing, or listening in the English language.

Identification and Eligibility for ESOL Program

Each student with a response other than English to any of the questions on the Home Language Survey listed below during enrollment will be identified as a potential ELL and will be screened using the WIDA Screener within 14 school days following the student’s initial enrollment.

What language is spoken by adults at home?
What language did the student first learn?
What language is spoken by the student at home?

Initial eligibility for ESOL services is based on the student’s level of English proficiency as measured by the WIDA language screening assessment. 6A-6.0902

Initial Eligibility for ESOL Program

Grade	Sub-Test	Eligible Scores
K	WIDA Screener for K	Overall Composite 1.0 to 3.9
1st-12th	WIDA Screener Listening, Speaking, Reading & Writing	Overall Composite 1.0 to 3.9
ELL Committee	Committee Recommendation

Grade

Sub-Test

Eligible Scores

WIDA Screener for K

Overall Composite

1.0 to 3.9

1st-12th

WIDA Screener

Listening, Speaking, Reading & Writing

Overall Composite

1.0 to 3.9

ELL Committee

Committee Recommendation

Parents will be notified of the English Language Learner (ELL) classification and ESOL Program eligibility including the reasons for the identification, student’s level of English proficiency, methods of instruction to be used in the program, and how it will meet the educational strengths and needs of their student. Within two weeks of the parent notification, the student will be placed in the appropriate English Language Development (ELD) instructional course(s).

Decisions regarding ESOL eligibility and services determined by the ELL Committee will be based on a review of the following:

academic performance,
standardized assessments and language acquisition data,
number of years the student has been enrolled in the ESOL program with consideration for interrupted instruction,
the student’s English language proficiency, and
attendance and retention data.

The ELL Committee includes the principal or designee, the parent, an ESOL/English teacher, the ESOL Facilitator, and any other personnel responsible for the instruction of English Language Learners, will meet to:

determine eligibility,
review and make placement recommendations,
evaluate continuation of program services to support language acquisition, or
provide recommendations for programs and access to additional services.6A-6.0908

Parents can request their child be removed from the ELD instructional course(s). Removal from the instructional course will not alter the school’s responsibility to continue to provide English instruction by ESOL-certified or endorsed instructors. The student will continue to receive appropriate instruction until they are reclassified as English proficient and exited from the ESOL Program.

Upon parents’ request to have their child removed from the ELD instructional course(s), the student’s principal or school representative will meet with the parent to ensure they understand the refusal request, by reviewing the ESOL services, the benefits of ESOL support, and the ESOL exit requirements. 6A-6.0903

Equal Access for English Language Learners

English Language Learners, including refugees and other immigrants, and racial and national origin minority students, should not be restricted due to their English proficiency and are entitled to equal access to

appropriate programs and services other than ESOL, such as compensatory, exceptional, early childhood, career and technical education, adult education, dropout prevention, extended day, and other supportive services; and
courses that are equivalent and comparable in scope, sequence, and quality of instruction provided to English proficient students and are understandable at the student’s level of English proficiency.

Grading and Progress Reporting

Each English Language Learner receiving English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) services will be graded based on his/her academic progress at his/her level of English proficiency. The teacher must document that accommodations and strategies of instruction and assessment were employed, which allowed the student to demonstrate progress in the achievement of the benchmarks and grade-level expectations. A grade of “Unsatisfactory,” “D,” or “F” may only be assigned to an English Language Learner receiving ESOLservices if he/she received appropriate accommodations and strategies in instruction and assessment, and the student demonstrated no progress toward achieving the standards and grade-level expectations at his/her level of English proficiency.

The teacher will inform parents in the comment section that, “The English Language Proficiency Level was taken into consideration when planning instruction, assessments, and grading for English Language Learners.”

Retention of English Language Learners

An English Language Learner (ELL) may not be retained due to lack of language acquisition alone. Student’s academic performance must be based on the student’s level of English Language Proficiency (ELP). An ELL who has had less than two years of instruction in the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program (not including PreK), should be considered for good cause promotion. Considerations should include the following:

amount of time in the country
academic experience(s)
time needed to reach proficiency based on research
oral language proficiency in English
reading and writing proficiency in English
cultural background.

The ELL Committee (including the parent) must meet to discuss the considerations of any ELL student recommended for retention prior to the retention of that student.

For ELLs who have received ESOL services for less than two years, a district ESOL representative must be invited to and should be present at the ELL Committee Meeting.

Evidence and documentation of the integration of Florida’s English Language Development standards with the grade level standards along with the academic performance of the student based on their ELP must be reviewed during the ELL Committee meeting. 6A-1.09432

Parent Communication of Progress

All written and oral communication between CCDS personnel and parents of current or former ELLs will be in the parents’ primary language or other mode of communication commonly used by the parents, unless clearly not feasible.

Statewide English Language Proficiency Assessment

All English Language Learners will be assessed annually on the ACCESS for ELLs, including Kindergarten ACCESS for ELLs, or the Alternative ACCESS for ELLs for students with significant cognitive disabilities

Assessment results will be used to evaluate the progress of individual students. The ELL Committee may convene to adjust, modify, or improve the ELL student plan when indicated by annual assessment data.

ELL Considerations for Statewide Standards Assessments

All students classified as ELL must participate in the statewide assessment program. There is no categorical exemption from participation in the statewide assessment program for English Language Learners.

An exemption from participation in any component of the statewide assessment may only be made through the recommendation of the School’s ELL committee and only for an ELL who has been in an English Language Program for less than one (1) year prior to the assessment date.

The School’s ELL committee, in making its decision, will consider the following factors:

Level of mastery of basic competencies or skills in English and home language according to appropriate local, state, and national criterion-referenced standards;
Grades from the current or previous years; or
Other test results

The School’s ELL committee will exempt an ELL from participation in a component of the statewide assessment program if it determines that the student’s participation would have an unsound instructional effect on the student.

English Language Learners in the third grade, who have been in an ESOL Program for less than two years and fail to meet expectations on the third-grade state assessments in reading, will be exempted for Good Cause from the third-grade mandatory retention.

For the purpose of exemption from mandatory retention of third-grade ELLs, under good cause, two years means no less than a total of two full calendar years as measured from the date the student entered a U.S. school, (DEUSS), to the date of the grade three standardized ELA assessment.

The School’s ELL committee may consider that the good cause exemption is also appropriate for ELLs traveling in and out of the country, who have NOT had two uninterrupted years of instruction in an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program.

The School’s ELL committee, in making its decision, will consider the following factors:

Documentation of less than two years accumulated time in an ESOL program in the U.S.
Verification of the DEUSS date (starting point)
Verification of re-entry dates (code E09, signifying any PK-12 student who enters a Florida school from a country other than the U.S. or U.S. commonwealth/territory)
Student level of English language proficiency
Academic experience in both English and the heritage language
Transcripts from schools outside the United States

6A-6.0901, 6A-6.0902, and 6A-6.0903, 6A-1.09432, 6A-6.09021

ELL Accommodations for Statewide Assessments

Appropriate and allowable accommodations are provided to English Language Learners who are currently receiving services or have exited and are in the two-year monitoring period, provided these accommodations have been implemented throughout the course of the academic year. Accommodations are defined as adjustments to settings and/or scheduling to include the amount of time for administration, assistance in the heritage language, and the use of an approved translation dictionary or glossary, including

testing in a separate room with the ESOL or heritage language teacher;
scheduling in multiple increments within one school day, when allowed;
additional time within one school day may be provided to complete a test session;
access to an approved heritage language dictionary or glossary; and/or
limited assistance by an ESOL or heritage language teacher using the student’s heritage language for directions, prompts, items, and answer choices.

Accommodations that negate the validity of statewide, standardized assessments are not allowable. Florida Statute § 1008.22, Rule 6A-6.09091, F.A.C.

Graduation Options for English Language Learners

English Language Learners who have been enrolled in an ESOL program for less than 2 school years and have met all requirements for the standard high school diploma except for passage standardized grade 10 ELA or alternative assessment is eligible for a standard high school diploma by satisfactorily demonstrating grade-level expectations on a formative assessment that generates a score or metric that can be interpreted as a measure of grade 10 level achievement in ELA.
English Language Learners who are enrolled in an ESOL program and have met all requirements for the standard high school diploma except for passage of the required state assessment or alternate assessment may participate in the English Language Program during the summer following their senior year and/or return as a fifth-year senior to have the opportunity to meet the graduation requirements.

ELLs receiving such instruction are eligible to take the required state assessment or alternate assessment and receive a standard high school diploma upon passage of the required state assessment or the alternate assessment. 1003.433(3), F.S., and SB 6A-1.0942

Exiting the ESOL Program

Grade	Exit by Criteria	Exit by ELL Committee Criteria
K	WIDA ACCESS 4.0+ Overall Composite and 4.0+ Reading	N/A
1-2nd	WIDA ACCESS 4.0+ Overall Composite and 4.0+ Reading	WIDA Screener* 4.0+ Overall Composite and 4.0+ Reading *Must be administered w/in 30 Days of ELL Committee’s determination to Exit
3rd-12th	WIDA ACCESS 4.0+ Overall Composite and 4.0+ Reading and FAST ELA Level 3+	WIDA Screener* 4.0+ Overall Composite and 4.0+ Reading and *Must be administered w/in 30 Days of ELL Committee’s determination to Exit Academic Criteria Required for Review: 3+ Years in ESOL Program Evidence of mastery of basic competencies/skills on a District Approved Formative ELA Assessment Evidence of quarterly grades demonstrating satisfactory progress towards ELA standards Written recommendation by current and previous instructional staff

Grade

Exit by Criteria

Exit by ELL Committee Criteria

WIDA ACCESS

4.0+ Overall Composite and
4.0+ Reading

N/A

1-2nd

WIDA ACCESS

4.0+ Overall Composite and
4.0+ Reading

WIDA Screener*

4.0+ Overall Composite and
4.0+ Reading

*Must be administered w/in 30 Days of ELL Committee’s determination to Exit

3rd-12th

WIDA ACCESS

4.0+ Overall Composite and
4.0+ Reading and

FAST ELA

Level 3+

WIDA Screener*

4.0+ Overall Composite and
4.0+ Reading and

*Must be administered w/in 30 Days of ELL Committee’s determination to Exit

Academic Criteria Required for Review:

3+ Years in ESOL Program
Evidence of mastery of basic competencies/skills on a District Approved Formative ELA Assessment
Evidence of quarterly grades demonstrating satisfactory progress towards ELA standards
Written recommendation by current and previous instructional staff

Section 10 - Exceptional Student Education

Our school district is committed to ensuring that all students with disabilities (SWDs) have the opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging state academic achievement standards and state academic assessments. The mission of the Exceptional Student Education (ESE) department is to identify and meet the unique educational needs of exceptional students and to provide support and resources to enhance educational opportunities so they may reach their full potential and become independent, productive citizens. The district ESE department, ESE instructional personnel, and related services personnel, center all of their work around high-leverage practices in the domains of instruction, social/emotional/behavioral, assessment, and collaboration which are considered to be fundamental to teaching all students with disabilities.

Each student with a disability has an Individual Education Plan (IEP). The IEP is tailored to meet the individual needs of students with disabilities, and is developed by a collaborative team including appropriate school-based/district personnel, parents or legal guardians, and the student whenever possible. The IEP team will review the IEP on an annual basis, or they may meet to amend the annual IEP if the need arises.

Key components of an IEP include; the student’s present level of academic achievement and functional performance, measurable annual IEP goals, accommodations, ESE services including specially designed instruction, transition services as applicable, and an explanation of how the student will participate in State and district assessments. Parents/legal guardians are informed of their child’s progress towards the attainment of their annual IEP goals at the regularly scheduled times that all students receive report cards and interim reports.

As IEPs are developed, reviewed, or amended for all SWDs, the IEP team will always consider existing additional services provided to SWDs, such as Title 1, English Language Learners, Migratory, Homeless, and Neglected or Delinquent Children.

Assessment

Florida Alternate Assessment for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities

All Florida students participate in the state’s assessment and accountability system. The Florida Alternate Assessment (FAA) is designed for students whose participation in the general statewide assessment program is not appropriate, even with accommodations. The FAA is based on Florida’s B.E.S.T. Standards Access Points for English Language Arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Access Points are academic expectations written specifically for students with significant cognitive disabilities. They reflect the essence or core intent of the standards that apply to all students in the same grade but at reduced levels of complexity.

Participation Guidelines

Per Florida Statute § 1008.22(3)d and Rule 6A-1.0943 F.A.C., only students with significant cognitive impairment are eligible to participate in the FAA program. Therefore, students with a primary disability category of SLD must not participate in the FAA program and subsequently should not be enrolled in access courses that align with the FAA program.

The decision for a student with a disability to participate in the statewide alternate assessment is made by the Individual Educational Plan (IEP) team and recorded on the IEP. The IEP team should consider the student’s present level of educational performance in reference to the Florida Standards Assessments and Next Generation Sunshine State Standards Assessments.

In order for a student to participate in the statewide, standardized alternative assessment, all of the following criteria must be met:

The student must have a “most significant cognitive disability” meaning a global cognitive impairment that adversely impacts multiple areas of functioning across many settings and is a result of a congenital, acquired or traumatic brain injury or syndrome and is verified by either:

A statistically significant below average global cognitive score that falls within the first percentile rank (i.e., a standard, full-scale score of sixty-seven (67) or under); or
In the extraordinary circumstance when a global, full-scale intelligence quotient score is unattainable, a school district-determined procedure that has been approved by the Florida Department of Education and documented in the district’s ESE Policies and Procedures, as required by Section 1003.57, F.S.

The assessment instrument used to measure the student’s global level of cognitive functioning was selected to limit the adverse impact of already-identified limitations and impairments (e.g., language acquisition, mode of communication, culture, hearing, vision, orthopedic functioning, hypersensitivities and distractibility);
The student must receive exceptional student education (ESE) services as identified through a current IEP and be enrolled in the appropriate and aligned courses using alternate achievement standards for two (2) consecutive full-time equivalent reporting periods prior to the assessment;
The student must be receiving specially designed instruction, which provides unique instruction and intervention supports that is determined, designed and delivered through a team approach, ensuring access to core instruction through the adaptation of content, methodology or delivery of instruction and is exhibiting very limited to no progress in the general education curriculum standards;
The student must be receiving support through systematic, explicit and interactive small-group instruction focused on foundational skills in addition to instruction in the general education curriculum standards;
Even after documented evidence of exhausting all appropriate and allowable instructional accommodations, the student requires modifications to the general education curriculum standards;
Even after documented evidence of accessing a variety of supplementary instructional materials, the student requires modifications to the general education curriculum standards;
Even with documented evidence of the provision and use of assistive technology, the student requires modifications to the general education curriculum standards;
Even with direct instruction in all core academic areas (i.e., English language arts, mathematics, social studies and science), the student is exhibiting limited or no progress on the general education curriculum standards, and requires modifications;
Unless the student is a transfer student, the student must have been available and present for grade-level general education curriculum standards instruction for at least seventy (70) percent of the school year prior to the assessment;
Unless the student is a transfer student, the student must have been instructed by a certified teacher for at least eighty (80) percent of the school year prior to the assessment;
Exclusionary Criteria - A student is not eligible to participate in the statewide, standardized alternate assessment if any of the following is true:
- The student is identified as a student with a specific learning disability or as gifted;
- The student is identified only as a student eligible for services as a student who is deaf or hard of hearing or has a visual impairment, a dual sensory impairment, an emotional or behavioral disability, a language impairment, a speech impairment, or an orthopedic impairment; or
- The student scored a level 2 or above on a previous statewide, general education curriculum standardized assessment administered pursuant to Florida Statute § 1008.22(3)(a) and (b), unless there is medical documentation that the student experienced a traumatic brain injury or other health-related complication subsequent to the administration of that assessment that led to the student having the most significantly below-average global cognitive impairment.

The parent must sign consent in accordance with Rule 6A-6.0331(10), F.A.C.

If the student meets all of the criteria for alternate assessment, the student should be enrolled in access courses and the Florida Alternate Assessment should be used to provide a meaningful evaluation of the student’s current academic achievement.

If the student does not meet the criteria, the student should be instructed in general education courses and participate in the general statewide standardized assessments with or without accommodations as appropriate.

Student performance is assessed on four levels of achievement. For all grade levels and content areas, the minimum scale score in Achievement Level 3 is identified as the passing score.

The four achievement levels are:

Level 1	Students at this level do not demonstrate an adequate level of success with Florida’s B.E.S.T. Access Points Standards.
Level 2	Students at this level demonstrate a limited level of success with Florida’s B.E.S.T. Access Points Standards.
Level 3	Students at this level demonstrate a satisfactory level of success with Florida’s B.E.S.T. Access Points Standards.
Level 4	Students at this level demonstrate an above-satisfactory level of success with Florida’s B.E.S.T. Access Points Standards.

NOTE: Access courses can only be used for students with significant cognitive disabilities who are eligible for alternate assessment. Determining the specific benchmarks within each strand and the functional level(s) applicable to a student will be the responsibility of the IEP Committee. It is expected that only students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who are eligible under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) will participate in the FAA.

Assessment Exemption

A child with a medical complexity may be exempt from participating in statewide, standardized assessments, including Florida Alternate Assessment (FAA) if based upon medical documentation from a physician that the student is medically fragile and needs intensive care due to a condition such as congenital disorder or acquired multi-system disease; has a severe neurological or cognitive disorder with marked functional impairment; or is technology dependent for activities of daily living and lacks the capacity to perform on an assessment. The student, if the IEP determines that the student qualifies, has the following options:

One-year exemption, if approved by the superintendent, from all statewide assessments.
One to three-year exemption, if approved by the superintendent, from all statewide assessments.
Permanent exemption, if approved by the superintendent, from all statewide assessments.

Graduation

Graduation Requirements for Students with Disabilities and Types of Diplomas

Beginning no later than the first Individual Education Plan (IEP) to be in effect when the student enters high school, attains the age of 14, or when determined appropriate by the parent and the IEP team, whichever occurs first, the IEP team in collaboration with the student's parent(s)/guardian(s) will review the diploma option (including standard diploma designations) annually and, if appropriate, revise the diploma option accordingly. Since the selection of a diploma option will have a significant impact on the student’s high school curriculum, the IEP team will collaborate with the student’s parents/guardians to select the most appropriate diploma option. The IEP team will discuss specific course and credit requirements for each diploma option in order to make an informed decision. The diploma option selected at the IEP meeting is noted on the IEP. At each annual IEP meeting thereafter, the academic performance of the student in relation to the diploma option selected will be addressed and the diploma recommendation reviewed. If, at any time, a change to the diploma option is recommended or requested, the change must be approved by the parent and is subject to verification of appropriateness by an independent reviewer. Copies of each IEP will be given to the parents.

Requirements for Standard Diploma

The standard diploma will be awarded to any student who has satisfactorily completed the high school program and has met all local and state requirements for graduation. See Diploma Options section for full detailed requirements. The standard diploma will be awarded to students who:

Earn a passing grade on the required statewide assessment(s) or meet the waiver requirements.
Successfully complete the required credits in grades 9 - 12. Students with disabilities must earn required credits in the district approved education courses listed in the Course Code Directory in order to meet the credit requirements for a standard diploma. Students with disabilities may meet the elective credit requirements by earning credits in basic, vocational, or exceptional student education courses as allowed by the standard diploma option selected.
Attain the same cumulative grade point average required in the general education section of the Student Progression Plan.

For those who have selected a General Standard Diploma, the following additional options may be discussed at an IEP team meeting and selected if appropriate.

Standard Diploma via Access Courses

This diploma is ONLY available to students with significant cognitive disabilities who are enrolled in access courses and assessed via an alternate assessment. The following may be considered:

Substitution of eligible Career Technical Education (CTE) courses for required access courses. Eligible CTE courses are noted in the state course code directory.
Modified expectations or outcomes to the CTE curriculum if CTE substitutions have been selected in lieu of required access courses.
Waiver of the Florida Standards Alternate Assessment for the purpose of receiving a course grade and a standard high school diploma. If this option is recommended by the IEP team, the parent must approve it. In addition, a Graduation Portfolio must be developed in the area (English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies) in which the waiver is granted.

Standard Diploma via Academic Courses and Employment Competencies

This may be considered when the IEP team has determined that mastery of both academic and employment competencies are the most appropriate way for the student to demonstrate skills. Students who choose the academic and employment option must earn at least 0.5 credit via paid employment. If this option is selected, an appropriate and signed Employment Transition Plan must be in place and separate from the IEP. Also, in addition to meeting the requirements noted for the general standard diploma, the IEP team may discuss and opt to substitute eligible Career Technical Education (CTE) courses for required core academic courses. Eligible CTE courses are noted in the state course code directory.

Specific requirements for each of these diploma types can be found in the Secondary Education section of this manual: Standard Diploma Industry Scholar Diploma Designation, Standard Diploma Scholar Designation, Advanced International Certificate of Education, State of Florida High School Performance-Based Diploma, State of Florida High School Diploma, International Baccalaureate, Standard Diploma ACCEL 18-Credit Option.

Certificate of Completion

According to statute, a Certificate of Completion is awarded to any student with a disability who has met all requirements for graduation with a standard diploma, except for passing the Statewide Assessment Program. The awarding of a certificate of completion to students with disabilities does not prevent a student with a disability from pursuing a standard diploma. A student with disabilities may continue to pursue a standard diploma until his/her 22nd birthday.

Waiver of Statewide, Standardized Assessment Results for Students with Disabilities

Florida Statute § 1008.22 (3)(c)1 requires that school districts provide instruction to prepare students with disabilities to demonstrate satisfactory performance in the core content knowledge and skills necessary for successful grade-to-grade progression and high school graduation. Assessment results may be waived under specific circumstances for students with disabilities for the purpose of receiving a course grade and a standard high school diploma.

To be considered for a statewide, standardized assessment results waiver, the following criteria must be met:

The student must be identified as a student with a disability, as defined in Florida Statutes § 1007.02. The term “student with a disability” means a student who is documented as having an intellectual disability; a hearing impairment, including deafness; a speech or language impairment; a visual impairment, including blindness; an emotional or behavioral disability; an orthopedic or other health impairment; an autism spectrum disorder; a traumatic brain injury; or a specific learning disability, including, but not limited to, dyslexia, dyscalculia, or developmental aphasia.
The student must have an Individual Educational Plan (IEP).
The student must have taken the statewide, standardized assessment with appropriate allowable accommodations at least once.
In accordance with Florida Statute § 1008.22 (3)(c)2, the IEP team must make a determination of whether a statewide, standardized assessment accurately measures the student’s abilities, taking into consideration all allowable accommodations for students with disabilities.

Students with disabilities who choose to pursue the 18-credit, Academically Challenging Curriculum to Enhance Learning (ACCEL) option, may be eligible for a waiver of statewide, standardized assessment results as long as they meet all of the waiver requirements and the requirements for the ACCEL option.

Students pursuing a standard diploma with a scholar diploma designation are not eligible for a waiver. In order for a student to earn a scholar diploma designation, a student must meet the requirements of Florida Statutes § 1003.4285,

Deferral of Graduation/Receipt of Standard High School Diploma

Beginning no later than the first IEP to be in effect when the student enters high school attains the age of 14, or when determined appropriate by the parent and IEP team, whichever occurs first, the IEP team in collaboration with the student's parents/guardian and student must discuss the process for a student with a disability who meets the requirements for a standard high school diploma to defer the receipt of such diploma pursuant to Florida Statutes § 1003.4282 (10)(c). [Students who receive a special diploma or a certificate of completion do NOT need to defer receipt of the special diploma or certificate in order to continue to receive FAPE.] The IEP team must review the benefits of deferring and describe in writing the services and programs available to the student who wishes to defer. The decision is made by the parent or the student if over the age of 18 during the year the student is expected to meet all of the requirements for a standard diploma, which is the senior year. Additionally, the decision to defer must be made by May 15 of the senior year. A student with a disability may only defer receipt of the standard diploma if:

The IEP includes special education, transition planning, transition services, or related services through age 21 AND
The student is enrolled in one or more of the following:
- Accelerated college credit instruction (dual enrollment and early admission, advanced placement, and credit by examination)
- Industry certification courses that could lead to articulated college credit (check with the Career Technical Education department for courses that apply)
- Collegiate high school program (International Baccalaureate program, or Advanced International Certificate of Education program)
- Courses necessary to satisfy the Scholar designation requirements (the scholar designation requires satisfactory completion of additional academic courses and assessments; see fldoe.org for additional information)
- A structured work-study program (any program that is designed to prepare the student for employment), internship, or pre-apprenticeship program (for students who are at least 16 years old).

Services

ESE Services and the Provision of FAPE

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, students with disabilities may receive public education services until their 22nd birthday. Students who have not graduated with a standard diploma or who have selected the option to defer the receipt of their standard diploma may receive services from the school district until their 22nd birthday.

Extended School Year Services

Extended School Year (ESY) services are special education and related services that are provided to ESE students beyond the normal 180-day school year. The determination of the need for ESY is a data-based decision made by the IEP team in order to ensure the student receives a free and appropriate public education (FAPE).

The criteria used to determine ESY services include but are not limited to regression and recoupment, critical points of instruction, emerging skills, nature or severity of the disability, interfering behaviors, rate of progress, or special circumstances. The IEP team will review all available student assessment data, IEP goal progress data, parent and teacher observations, student performance after previous breaks from school, and a variety of other student-specific data in order to help determine the student’s need for ESY.

The IEP team has the flexibility to determine when an individual student needs ESY services. The district may provide ESY services to a student with a disability during the summer or at times other than the summer during the school year, such as before and after regular school hours or during any school break, if it is determined by the IEP team that the student requires ESY services during those time periods in order to receive FAPE.

ESY services may be provided as school-based instruction with related services, computer-assisted programs, take-home instructional materials with consultation support, related services, and other methods determined by the IEP team to address the student’s individualized needs.

The IEP team must determine at least annually if ESY services are necessary. ESY is not intended to provide education beyond that which has been determined necessary by the IEP team to ensure FAPE. Also, the school district will not limit the provision of ESY services to particular categories of disabilities or unilaterally limit the type, amount, or duration of the services. Rule 6A-6.03028(3)(g)11.b., F.A.C. Determinations concerning the duration, frequency, and type of ESY services will be individualized and documented on the student’s IEP.

Section 504

Section 504 Eligibility Determination

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a national law that protects qualified individuals from discrimination based on their disability. In order to become eligible under Section 504, a student must be determined to: (1) have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities; (2) have a record of such an impairment; or (3) be regarded as having such an impairment.

The Section 504 Team, consisting of parents, teachers, and other staff members, will meet to discuss all relevant information and acquired data about the student to consider whether the student has a disability that substantially limits a major life activity. Should the student be determined to be eligible under Section 504, the team will then consider need based supports and mitigating factors to determine the need for and, if necessary, design an accommodation plan that provides equal participation and opportunity for access for the disabled student. Section 504 accommodations are intended to provide access to educational opportunities, not to provide the student with an advantage over their non-disabled peers.. The Clay County District Schools Section 504 Guide provides more detailed information and implementation guidelines.

Accommodations for ESE & Section 504

Classroom Accommodations for Section 504 and ESE

Students eligible for ESE or 504 plans should receive classroom accommodations as listed in their IEP or 504 Plan. Accommodations are implemented in all general education courses, Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses, and programs of study as needed to assure students the opportunity to meet requirements for course completion and high school graduation requirements for a standard diploma. The appropriate accommodations will be determined based on the assessed needs of the student and will be reflected in his/her IEP or 504 plan. Accommodations to these courses will not include modifications to the student performance standards.

District and Statewide Assessment Accommodations

Allowable district and state-standardized assessment accommodations should be considered by the IEP or 504 plan team at annual reviews. Note that only allowable accommodations approved by any specified standardized assessments are permissible. Parents and students should be made aware that there may be accommodations used in the classroom that are not permissible on standardized assessments.

Teachers are to use appropriate testing accommodations, identified on the IEP or 504 plan, for eligible students in all situations.

Gifted

A student is eligible for special instructional programs for the gifted from kindergarten through grade 12 if the student meets one of these criteria:

The student demonstrates
- The need for a special program.
- A majority of the characteristics of gifted students are according to a standard scale or checklist.
- Superior intellectual development as measured by an intelligence quotient of two standard deviations or more above the mean on an individually administered standardized test of intelligence.
The student is a member of an underrepresented group and meets the criteria specified in an approved school district plan for increasing the participation of underrepresented groups in programs for students who are gifted. Underrepresented groups are defined in Rule 6A-6.03019, F.A.C., as students with limited English proficiency or students from low socio-economic status families.

When a student is determined eligible for this program, an Educational Plan (EP) is developed. In grades K - 6, Clay County District Schools utilizes the research based Gifted Enrichment Model as the best way to meet the depth and complex needs of elementary students who are gifted. In grades 7 - 8, junior high schools may utilize academic content courses or provide support facilitation. Students who are gifted articulating from grades 8 to 9 will have an Educational Plan articulation meeting to address appropriate services.

In order to ensure that Exceptional Student Education Services are provided for all students who are gifted, the following principles should guide decision making:

The EP drives the gifted service; students must attend the gifted class, or receive the gifted services, as they do any other required instruction. Participation in gifted classes cannot be used as a reward.

The Educational Plan identifies the amount of time a student receives instruction with the gifted teacher. If any changes are needed to the EP, individual EP meetings must be held (including the parent/guardian) to address the changes. The changes must be described in the Present Level of Educational Performance.
Students who attend gifted enrichment classes are responsible for concepts covered in their general education class. The general education teacher should try to schedule critical lectures, presentations of new material, and tests at a time when the gifted students are present. Any critical material covered when the gifted students are receiving their required gifted service will be provided to students upon their return to class.
Students who are gifted attending an enrichment class are NOT required to make up classwork or homework missed while participating in activities with the gifted teacher. Additionally, missed classwork must not be assigned as homework. However, the students may be held responsible for key concepts covered during their absence.
Middle school students who attend a gifted class for content instruction receive their grade for that subject from the gifted teacher.
In order to be considered an ESE service, all gifted classes (enrichment classes at elementary school or gifted academic content courses at the junior high school) must be taught by a gifted endorsed teacher and the classes must be comprised of only students who are gifted.

Hospital Homebound

This program is available to K - 12 students and PreK Exceptional Student Education students who have a medically diagnosed physical or psychiatric condition that is acute or catastrophic in nature, a chronic illness, or a repeated intermittent illness due to a persisting medical problem, which confines the student to home or the hospital and demonstrate a need for specialized instruction. These students may continue their academic instruction in the home or in the hospital. Eligibility, placement, and program services are determined by members of an eligibility determination team meeting. The eligibility determination meeting is scheduled upon receipt of a Hospital/Homebound Request application, which is completed by parent/guardian(s) as well as by a licensed Florida physician or psychiatrist, unless a report of medical examination from a physician licensed in another state is permitted in accordance with Rule 6A-6.0331(3)(e), F.A.C. The licensed physician must certify:

That the student is expected to be absent from school due to a physical or psychiatric condition for at least 15 consecutive school days or due to a chronic condition for at least 15 school days; and
That the student is confined to home or hospital; and
That the student will be able to participate in and benefit from an instructional program; and
That the student is under medical care for illness or injury that is acute, catastrophic, or chronic in nature; and
That the student can receive instructional services without endangering the health and safety of the instructor or other students with whom the instructor may come in contact.

The Request for the Hospital/Homebound Instruction application can be obtained by contacting the ESE department at your child’s school, or by contacting the Clay County ESE District Office Hospital/Homebound department.

Graduation Requirements/Diploma Options
Subject Area	Graduation Requirements of 24-Credit “STANDARD” Diploma	Graduation Requirements of 24-Credit “SCHOLAR” Designation	Graduation Requirements of 24-Credit “INDUSTRY Scholar” Designation
English	4 credits in Language Arts MUST PASS 10th-grade FAST ELA assessment	4 credits in Language Arts MUST PASS 10th-grade FAST ELA assessment	4 credits in Language Arts MUST PASS 10th-grade FAST ELA assessment
Mathematics	4 credits: 1 credit must be Algebra 1 (MUST PASS EOC; EOC 30% of grade) 1 credit in Geometry (EOC 30% of grade) 2 additional courses - 2 credits may be substituted with allowable industry certification courses that lead to college credit.	4 credits: 1 credit must be Algebra 1 (MUST PASS EOC; EOC 30% of grade) 1 credit in Geometry (EOC 30% of grade; MUST PASS EOC 1 credit in Algebra 2 1 credit in Statistics or an equally rigorous course.	4 credits: 1 credit must be Algebra 1 (MUST PASS EOC; EOC 30% of grade) 1 credit in Geometry (EOC 30% of grade) 2 additional courses - 2 credits may be substituted with allowable industry certification courses that lead to college credit.
Science	3 credits: 1 credit in Biology 1 (EOC 30% of grade) 2 credits in an equally rigorous course, 2 of 3 credits must have a lab. One credit may be substituted with allowable industry certification leading to college credit.	3 credits: 1 credit in Biology 1 (MUST PASS EOC) 1 credit in Chemistry or Physics 1 credit in an equally rigorous course	3 credits: 1 credit in Biology 1 (EOC 30% of grade) 2 credits in an equally rigorous course, 2 of 3 credits must have a lab. One credit may be substituted with allowable industry certification leading to college credit.
Social Studies	3 credits: 1 credit in World History 1 credit in US History (EOC 30% of grade) ½ credit in Government ½ credit in Economics with Financial Literacy	3 credits: 1 credit in World History 1 credit in US History (MUST PASS EOC) ½ credit in Government ½ credit in Economics with Financial Literacy	3 credits: 1 credit in World History 1 credit in US History (EOC 30% of grade) ½ credit in Government ½ credit in Economics with Financial Literacy
World Language	Not required for high school graduation, but required for admission into state universities.	2 credits in the same language or demonstrated proficiency in a second language.	Not required for high school graduation, but required for admission into state universities.
Performing/Fine Arts, or CTE Course	1 credit in Performing/Fine Arts or CTE Course (eligible courses specified in Course Code Directory)	1 credit in Performing/Fine Arts or CTE Course (eligible courses specified in Course Code Directory)	1 credit in Performing/Fine Arts or CTE Course (eligible courses specified in Course Code Directory)
Physical Education	1 credit in Physical Education to include the integration of health to include the CPR/AED training. (½ Personal Fitness & ½ PE Elective)	1 credit in Physical Education to include the integration of health to include the CPR/AED training. (½ Personal Fitness & ½ PE Elective)	1 credit in Physical Education to include the integration of health to include the CPR/AED training. (½ Personal Fitness & ½ PE Elective)
Financial Literacy (23-24 or later cohort)	½ credit in financial literacy	½ credit in financial literacy	½ credit in financial literacy
Electives	8 credits (22-23 cohort and earlier) 7 ½ credits (23-24 cohort or later)	8 credits (22-23 cohort and earlier) 7 ½ credits (23-24 cohort or later) Must earn 1 AP, IB, AICE, or Dual Enrollment credit	8 credits (22-23 cohort and earlier) 7 ½ credits (23-24 cohort or later)
Total	24 credits*	24 credits	24 credits*
Industry Certification Requirements	None required	None required	Must attain one or more industry certifications.
Grade Point Average (GPA) Requirement	Cumulative unweighted GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale
State Assessment Requirements	Students MUST PASS: Grade 10 State ELA assessment (or state-approved concordant score) Algebra 1 EOC (or state-approved concordant score)
Special Note: *For the Standard Diploma and Industry Scholar Diploma select courses within the 24 credits may be earned through equivalent, applied, or integrated or career education courses including work-related internships.